The Most Magical Place on Earth
by Butimachrldr2
Summary: "'Replaced.' The word echoed in her heart. … Sharon was at the table with Emily. Cal never brought his one night stands home… around his daughter. … They were like a … "Family."... But … That had been her family. It was all she had left... She only had the Lightman group and her odd little place with Cal and Emily. Now that was gone. She was alone and she had nothing." So she runs.
1. Gillian Runs

I do not own Lie to Me, the characters, dialogue, or events in the episodes.

* * *

The weather in D.C. was gorgeous, sunny with just a light breeze. Everything should have been perfect, if it hadn't been for her stupid father. Emily slumped in the chair, arms crossed across her chest in anger, and glared at him from across the table.

"Enough of that." Cal Lightman pointed at his daughter's face and circled her expression with his finger. "You're gonna be civil." He gestured toward their dining companion with a flick of his head. Detective Sharon Wallowski looked even more uncomfortable, if that was possible. She had been in Cal's office earlier when Emily came to pick him up for some kind of 'special' lunch, as Emily phrased it.

There was a case that was causing her some headaches and she wanted Cal's opinion on their prime suspect. She hadn't expected him to insist she accompany them to lunch. When Emily had pitched a fit, she tried to claim an alternative commitment but Cal had refused to listen and had basically dragged her behind him. Sometimes when he got something in his head it was impossible to get it out. She figured he was simply trying to prove to Emily that if he invited someone then Emily would have to acquiesce. Plus he had been fascinated by the case and probably wanted to hear more about it. She felt bad having inadvertently interrupted their time together.

Sighing dramatically, Emily sat up but continued to eyeball her father. "Now where the bloody hell is that waiter with the menus?" He asked looking around the table to see if he had somehow missed them.

"There are no menus Dad." Emily drew out her father's moniker mockingly still throwing knives at him with her eyes.

"Alright then 'ow do they expect us to order without menus?" He asked her incredulously.

"We're not ordering Father." She continued in a sarcastic tone. He glared back at her about losing his patience. Rolling her eyes she glared back and continued. "I ordered ahead of time, because this was supposed to be a celebration."

Before Cal could respond, a waiter approached with a tray of food and set it down on a stand near the table. "So there's the traditional fish and chips for the gentleman, accompanied by a Welsh cake." He laid the large and small plates down in front of Cal. "Especially for the lady, Bourride with Lemon Aoili, and of course the flourless chocolate soufflé. That's the chef's specialty," he winked at the detective as he laid the desert down in front of her and placed the main dish to the side. "And for the lovely celebrant, shepherd's pie, and apple croustade." After laying down her dishes, he popped the cork on the champagne bottle pouring a glass for both Cal and Sharon. He then placed the bottle in a bucket of ice and set it near the center of the table closest to Cal. He turned and removed the top to an Italian soda and poured it into a glass for Emily. Setting it in front of her, he asked, "Will there be anything else?"

"Who's paying for this?" Cal asked crossing his arms and glaring at his daughter.

"Um, sir, the meal has already been taken care of…" the waiter mistook Cal's question as being directed at him. "If there's nothing else…" He backed off sensing the tension at the table.

"When did you set all this up then?" Cal continued to grill his daughter, but this time she wasn't backing down either.

"Over a month. I've been saving up for it longer. It was meant to celebrate the news I had to share. Something I thought you'd be thrilled about. But you've ruined it!" She glared back at him. "I'm not even hungry now."

Cal glanced down at the plate in front of her. Shephard's pie was Emily's absolute favorite dish. The smell from it and the fish and chips wafted up to him and he could tell it would be amazing. The Welsh cake was something he hadn't enjoyed in ages. He glanced over at Shazzer who was pushing her spoon around in the bowl looking at the food like it was toxic. He recognized the soup vaguely as some kind of French dish. That coupled with the chocolate soufflé was itching at the back of his mind.

"You set this up a month ago?" he asked softly. She humphed and nodded vigorously still glaring at him. "For the three of us?" He gestured around them. She shook her head no. "Then…" She didn't even have to respond. His brain fired. The French soup, the chocolate dessert, it could only be one person.

"I invited Gillian." The only sound in response was a loud clink as Sharon dropped her spoon loudly against the bowl. She pushed back from the table looking around. Cal held a hand up to her in a gesture of stop, which kept her in her seat, though her fingers were gripping the arms of the chair as if she were getting prepared to propel herself out of it.

"Well where is she then?" Cal asked his daughter carefully.

"I don't know DAD." Again with the mocking tone when she said his name. "Why don't you tell me? I mean, _you're_ the expert." She drew out the syllables of 'you're' with seething sarcasm. "Gillian is never late. You know that. I know that. And yet, where is she? She certainly is not here. And she, like you, has known about this lunch for several weeks. Had it in her calendar and even confirmed with me this morning when I passed her office. So, I don't know, did something happen on her way here? Hmmmm. Let's see. Maybe she showed up and saw the table set for three people and oh, I don't know, her seat was already filled! Maybe she somehow got the idea that we weren't waiting for her or that YOU didn't WANT HER HERE! Cause you're too caught up with your bloody wench!" With that Emily stood up and threw her napkin down on the table.

"OY! You're still my daughter and you WILL NOT speak that way to me. Bloody hell. Gillian's a big girl. She probably got caught up at work…"

"Well why don't we find out?" Emily folded her arms across her chest and lifted her eyebrow up at him in a challenge.

"Fine." He responded glaring back at her.

"Is there something wrong with the…" The waiter hesitantly asked coming up behind Sharon and eyeing the untouched dishes.

"We'll need to take these to go." Emily responded never breaking her glare at her father.

"Oh, um, yes, of course, I'll get right on that." He removed the dishes as quickly as he could gesturing for help to the busboy that had accompanied him. They both looked at each other wordlessly communicating that they wanted to get this table out of there fast before they made even more of a scene.

Cal was too busy staring down his daughter to pay attention to the waiters. His head was reeling. Deep down he knew everything that Emily said was right. But he was too angry at himself to admit it. Something was still nagging at him though. "What was all of this about then?"

"It was meant to be a celebration. A celebration and a thank you." Emily held up her hand gesturing at her father to stop before he could interrupt. "For Gillian." She gave him a pointed look. "While you've been busy." She glanced over at Sharon whose eyes dropped back down to her lap, then back at her father. "She's been helping me. Things aren't exactly great, I mean financially. I've seen how you're company has been struggling Dad." She held up her hand and widened her eyes at him. "No! Don't try to deny it. It's obvious things have been hard. And I know mom's been doing well, but she is still building up her business, and… well, I just know how hard it is becoming to find a job, even with a degree. Anyway, before last semester I asked Gillian if she could help me and discuss my options. I told her that when I graduate… well I want to study psychology too." She looked down and then up at her dad, while she was mad at him, she still loved him and she was unsure what his reaction would be to her news. "She really did a lot of research and preparation before we met. She suggested that I take my AP classes first semester and see if I could graduate early. That way I might be able to enroll in the local university and take some basic credits before starting college in the fall. Her suggestion was great. I was super busy last semester but the great news is that I was able to finish all my requirements and my AP classes will likely transfer as credits. Plus, I contacted my top choices and found out what classes I could take now that would transfer too. Anyway, I applied early to my top choices and well this, today, was meant to tell you that… I got into both." Emily looked down and rubbed her arm.

"You were accepted already into two schools?" Cal's voice was barely above a whisper.

"Yeah." Emily shrugged still not making eye contact.

"And you're done with high school already?" Cal continued incredulously. How much attention had he not been paying?

"Well yeah but I still plan to walk in May with my class." Emily glanced up at him questioningly.

"And what schools did you get into?" Cal held his breath as he waited for her response.

"Well you know I have had my heart set on Berkeley." Cal's heart fell. "So, yeah, I got in." Emily couldn't hide her smile or the pride from her voice. "But… Well… Gillian talked to me about my long term plans. And there is an accelerated program for a bachelors and masters in psychology. It's at Sacred Heart University. I got into that program too. Gillian wrote me the most amazing recommendation letter for both schools and I think, maybe, well she called the heads of their programs."

"Sacred heart…" Cal started but Emily broke in.

"Yeah, it's a small school. It's Catholic but they didn't care that I wasn't. I mean I'll have to go to church, it's mandatory, but that's kind of interesting, in an academic way. You know see what all the fuss is about. It'll make Grandma and Grandpa happy that is for sure." Emily looked up at her father at the reference to her mother's parents and then smirked. "It's in Connecticut Dad."

Cal's heart began thumping in his chest. Connecticut was a lot closer than California. A hell of a lot closer. It was drive able anyway. He couldn't hide his excitement. "So, my daughter, is going to study psychology, and has been accepted to Berkeley and some accelerated program in Connecticut, and she's already done with high school? That sum it up luv?" Emily nodded biting her lip. Cal broke out in a huge grin and hugged his daughter picking her up and swinging her around. "Why didn't you tell me you cheeky bugger? I'm so proud of you luv. Still can't understand why you'd want to study psychology though." He smirked at her as he set her down.

"I want to work with you, at the Lightman group." Cal's heart swelled with a mixture of pride and fear.

"What'd your mum think of that?" Cal covered his emotions with a joke.

"Yeah, well, she's not exactly thrilled. I think she kind of hoped I'd follow in her footsteps. I still haven't told her that I kind of want to do more what Gillian does. Knew that wouldn't go over well." Remembering Gillian she eyed her father again. It seemed he remembered too and had replaced his smile with his usual blocked expression. She sighed and looked up to see that the waiter had returned with their food boxed up. "Speaking of… We should probably go find her."

Emily grabbed the bags from the waiter thanking him before turning and marching off toward the office. Cal watched her for a second before grabbing his jacket off the back of the chair and putting it on. Turning back he saw Shazzer eyeing him warily. "Well, come on." He gestured at her as he walked off.

She caught up to him quickly. "Maybe I should catch you later. You know after you locate Gillian." She hoped he would take the hint but to her dismay he just looked at her like she had gone daft and continued toward the office. Rolling her eyes, she grudgingly followed behind him.

* * *

Gillian Foster smiled happily as she made her way down the hall of her office. Spotting Heidi her smile broadened. "Heading out to lunch Doctor Foster?" Heidi asked as she passed her desk.

"Yes, Heidi, and I'm really looking forward to it." Gillian couldn't contain her enthusiasm. Not only had Emily texted her the night before but the girl had also poked her head into Gillian's office earlier that morning to confirm Gillian's attendance. Emily's enthusiasm was contagious. She wasn't entirely sure what the girl was up to, but Emily had emphasized that she wanted Gillian there to thank her for something. Gillian was hoping Emily had received her acceptance letters to school. Perhaps she would even consider attending one of the closer colleges. That would make Cal very happy. "I'm not sure how long I'll be. If anything comes up…"

"I can reach you on your phone." Heidi smiled at her boss knowing her standard response. "Hopefully we can hold the fort down for a few hours Dr. Foster. Unless Dr. Lightman has anything planned."

Gillian laughed at Heidi's joke. "Actually, I think he'll be at lunch with Emily and I, so if he has any plans I'll handle them directly." Waving goodbye, Dr. Foster walked to the elevators. Glancing at her watch she saw that she had a good ten minutes before she was due to at the restaurant. She prided herself on being on time. Emily was probably still trying to pull Cal from his office. Smirking she got on the elevator and pressed the button for the ground floor. The ride down was short. She stopped to hold the door open for someone before exiting the building.

The walk to the restaurant was glorious. The weather was perfect and she felt like she had a bounce in her step. She was excited for Emily and for the first time in a while she was even happy to spend time with Cal. Lately things had been… better. When they were together it was more like old times. Easier in some way. The tension that had been plaguing them seemed to have dissipated. It was almost as if Cal was on his best behavior; toning down his usual chaos. Plus, she hadn't seen that detective around for weeks.

She bit her lip when she thought of Sharon Wallowski. Cal had never asked her why she disclosed the information on the dirty detective. He just assumed she betrayed him. But when he called her out on her loyalty, well that had really hurt. She had revealed the cop's actions only to protect him. He never gave her a chance to explain.

The psychologist in her knew he was waiting for her to hurt him; to lie to him. He expected her to leave like his mother had. He became even more paranoid after the incidents with Jeffrey and Terry. When he found out she had lied to him about Doyle, well, she was surprised he even talked to her at all. That seemed to be the breaking point. Whatever trust he had put in her began unraveling with that revelation. But somehow they had seemed to hold it together. Until Wallowski.

She didn't want to hate her, but she couldn't help it. She had never hated any of the many, many women he had slept with, not even Zoe. Even after hurting him and continuing to manipulate him, she never hated Zoe. Deep down, she had thought her relationship with him was different, was special. Yes, he had slept with a lot of women, his ex-wife included, but he always saved the better part of himself for her. She believed she had something special with Cal. Until Wallowski.

With the detective Cal made it clear that she came before Gillian. That hadn't happened before. He made it clear he valued her loyalty over Gillian's. Time and again he forced the detective on her; even at her most vulnerable. She shuddered at the thought of seeing Sharon Wallowski at Claire's apartment and cringed at the fact that she had cried in front of the detective. It hurt too much to think about.

Shaking her head, Gillian brought herself back from her thoughts. It didn't matter. Wallowski had been gone for a while. She was heading to have lunch with Emily and Cal to celebrate Emily. She still had her place with them and that thought alone brought her back from the despair.

Rounding the corner she heard the familiar cockney accent in a louder voice. They were at it already apparently. She smiled. They couldn't last five minutes without arguing. Hopefully she could smooth…

Gillian stopped in mid step. Her foot raised partly as if she were going to move forward. Instead she froze. Every happy thought and warm feeling left her body. The sun no longer felt good on her skin. She felt chilled to the bone. She had spotted them sitting at a lone table out in the sunshine. Cal and Emily were obviously arguing and Emily looked pissed. Gillian could see her face clear as day. She could also see that they were seated at a table for three, just three, and Sharon Wallowski was in the third chair.

Her heart slammed in her chest and she clutched a hand at her stomach and doubled over. The world around her swam and she was having trouble taking a breath. Her body wouldn't react. She couldn't breathe. Looking at her other hand she saw it was shaking. Not knowing what else to do, she slapped her hand hard across her own cheek, and was rewarded with a large gasp that brought some air into her lungs. Her breathing continued labored but present.

A single tear ran down her cheek. "Replaced." The word echoed in her heart. She had been replaced. Sharon was at the table with Emily. Cal never brought his one night stands home. He never had them around his daughter. This was different. They were like a … "Family." She whispered. But that was her place. That had been her family. It was all she had left. She had no Sophie. No Alec. No Dave. No parents. No home. No boyfriend. No thing that was hers alone. She only had the Lightman group and her odd little place with Cal and Emily. Now that was gone. She was alone and she had nothing.

That's when time caught up with her and panic set in. She had to get out of there. She turned on her heel and strode off back to the office. She had no idea where she would go, but she had to leave, get as far away as possible. The panic had moved on from physical shock to a desperate need for flight. She couldn't let them see her like this. Couldn't let anyone see her like this. She felt like she was about to fall apart. Pulling a mask down over her emotions she straightened herself up and continued to march confidently forward as if she knew where the hell she was going. Deep down something told her that Emily would come looking for her when she didn't show up. She had seen the girl's face. A tiny part of her wondered if Cal would look for her too. Glancing over her shoulder she only saw blurs but inside her something broke. He wouldn't come looking for her. She had been replaced. She meant nothing to him. A sob threatened to break free and she swallowed it down, realizing she had made it back to the Lightman Group.

"A little help here Foster?" Eli Loker was addressing her. He had his hands full trying to balance a large file box with a tray of what she assumed were coffees. Standing outside of the building, he was trying to lower his hands to open the door.

"I'll get it Eli." She was amazed at how smooth her voice came out. Years of practice, she registered sadly. Opening the door, she held it for him.

"Thanks. Thought you were heading out to lunch."

"Oh, yes, I was, but something came up. Actually Eli, I have to head out and take care of a family issue. Would you mind letting Heidi know I'll be taking a few days off? Oh and would you take a few things to my office for me?"

"Er, sure. Not sure I can grab much though." Eli gestured toward his full arms with a nod of his head. "If you can fit the stuff in this box, I'd be happy to take it for you." With that Eli walked over to the chairs and tables set up on the lobby level for guests. He deposited the box and set the coffee tray down. Pulling out his coffee, he began to tell Gillian all about his latest research, the documentation for which was apparently in the box.

"Really?" She asked, only half listening. It seemed the appropriate response as he continued rambling excitedly. Lifting the lid on the file box, Foster saw that there was room in the top. Opening her bag, she pulled out the few files she had taken with her and managed to hide her laptop inside one before slipping them into the box. Eli was too busy talking to notice what she had done. Slipping her phone under the lid she interrupted him mid thought. "Thank you again Eli. I am sorry but I have to go." Patting his arm she walked toward the door to head to the parking garage.

"Oh, Right, then, well I'll just head upstairs." Eli shrugged. He would never understand how people could not be excited about the activity of monkeys. 'I mean there was so much that you could find in common between people and monkeys,' he thought. 'Like how Gillian ran out of the office as fast as… a patas monkey, the fastest primate on land. Well maybe that was an overestimate, the patas monkey can run up to 34 miles per hour and Gillian while fast, was not exactly that fast. But why had she run out of there so fast. Patas monkeys ran from predators, but there weren't any of those in the office. Well there was Lightman. Maybe he had scared her. He certainly scares me.' Eli's rambling thoughts continued as he made his way upstairs with the file box and coffees.

* * *

Emily took the elevator ahead of her dad and that stupid detective. Why'd he have to bring her anyway? God he was so, so frustrating sometimes. Here she had planned this lunch for a month and he goes and ruins it. Hopefully the chocolate soufflé had held up. Opening up the refrigerator in the kitchenette, she placed the bag inside. Turning she headed toward Gillian's office.

She bit her lip when she saw the lights were off, but popped her head inside anyway. "Gillian?" She wasn't surprised when she didn't get a response but she was a little worried. Heading toward the cube she peeked in the open door and caught Ria and Eli arguing. Still no sign of Gillian. Not wanting to disturb them yet, she turned and headed for her father's office. Opening the door, again she noticed the lights off. She flicked them on and looked around before heading to the library. Nothing.

A thought popped into her head. Heidi would know Gillian was; Gillian always checked in with her before leaving. Heading to Heidi's desk she ran into her father and that stupid detective.

"Gillian's not in her office. She's not in the cube or the kitchen or your office." She explained in a rush. "Dad… I can't find her."

* * *

Gillian Foster was deflated. She was beyond hurt, beyond feeling really. She had a death grip on the steering wheel as she drove without destination. Her mind had abandoned her. She was struggling to keep her shit together.

Her laptop and phone were now with Eli. So Cal had no way of tracking her down. She most definitely was not going to see family. On good days their relationship was strained. Now, at her frailest, she would never even think of going to them. Her mother would tell her not to ruin her makeup with tears and to smile and hold her head high. She didn't speak to her father. Plus her little lie to Eli ruled out any more distant relatives. There was no way she would leave a trace of where she had gone. She needed time to deal with… with Wallowski as an addition to Cal's family. A sob escaped from her mouth and she bit down hard, grinding her teeth. She couldn't break down. Not yet. Not until she had a place to go. Absently she swiped at the tears rolling down her cheeks; failing to convince herself that she wasn't crying.

The interstate signs called her attention to an immediate choice she needed to make. Where was she going? She really had no idea. She didn't want anyone to see her in this state, so ingrained was her upbringing that it even trumped her schooling. 'Those who can do, those who can't' and all that. So she settled for an easier question to answer: should she go north or south? Unconsciously, she must have been deciding on a destination because she merged onto the highway going south. Where she would end up she had no idea but she knew she would be driving for a long time.

* * *

"WHERE IS SHE?" Eli was halfway surprised that Lightman's voice hadn't shattered any glass. It had certainly rattled it enough. He had been on his way to Foster's office to drop off her files when he heard his irate boss. Turning he walked toward the front of the office still carrying his file box. Turning the corner, he spotted a shaking Heidi trying to answer an impatient Cal. Emily was pacing frantically behind him and detective Wallowski looking forlorn stood off to the side.

"She said she had a family emergency and was taking a few days." Eli heard Heidi trying to explain what he presumed was Foster's whereabouts.

"How d'ya know that? Did she call and tell you that?" Lightman demanded.

"She told me." Eli said, wondering why in the world he was interjecting. "I caught up with her downstairs and she said she had a family emergency and had to take off for a few days. She asked me to bring some files up for her…" Eli's voice trailed off as he read the look of confusion on Cal.

"What are you on about?" Cal demanded.

"Foster. You asked…" Eli started to respond, noting that Wallowski was standing behind Cal holding her arm in a self-comforting gesture and looking like she wanted to be anywhere else.

Cal cut him off. "She doesn't have family, you daft… Oi! Look at me when I'm talking to you!" Eli's eyes flashed back from the detective to Cal who was now hovering over him. "Where. Is. Gillian?"

Eli had only a moment to register that Cal had used her first name before responding feebly. "I have no idea where Dr. Foster is. I only know that she said she'd take a few days for a family emergency." he looked at Lightman and was surprised when he could actually read the fear in his face. "She seemed fine when she left…"

Lightman looked at him like he was an absolute idiot and wanted to smack him upside his head. Eli flinched back. Cal must have thought better of it because he let out an exasperated noise.

"Dad," Emily interrupted holding up her phone. "Why don't we call her?"

"Right. Yeah. You do it, luv." He gestured toward Emily, feeling that she may have been right earlier. If Gillian had spotted them, perhaps she had gotten upset… He didn't want to think about where this was going.

Emily dialed the number and hit send holding the phone up to her ear. A muffled ringing noise could be heard. When everyone turned and looked at Eli, he looked back at them with confusion. "What?"

Emily hung up. "No answer." She sighed.

Cal gestured at her still staring at Eli. "Ring her again Em."

Emily did as he asked, now watching her father. Again the muffled ringing could be heard. Cal stepped toward Eli who pulled back. Reaching out Cal lifted the lid of the box still in his arms. The muffled ringing became clearer. Looking inside he stuck his arm in and pulled out the phone. His heart sank. Opening it he answered. "Lightman Group."

"Dad?" Emil's voice could be heard coming through the receiver.

Cal hit the button ending the call. The room was so silent you could hear a pin drop. "Gillian gave you some files?" Cal glared at Eli. Gulping he set the box down and crouching next to it pulled out the files on top that had belonged to her. As he lifted them, he was surprised at their heaviness. Opening the top one he spotted a laptop.

"Uh…" Eli was loathe to reveal this but knew better than to try and hide it. Handing Cal the laptop, he continued. "And apparently a few electronics."

"Fuck." Cal's curse reverberated through the deadly silent lobby.

* * *

Gillian had been on the road for two hours and realized she needed a restroom and a coffee. Her own mug was still sitting untouched on her desk. Normally that would bother her but today it didn't even register. She was grateful for her hollowness though as it was keeping an overwhelming sadness at bay.

Just outside of Richmond she spotted an exit advertising a travel center with a sign for Starbucks. She took it. Parking the car, she checked her reflection in the mirror on her visor. She looked about as bad as she felt. Opening her console she pulled out a package of wipes that she kept there for emergencies. Wiping off the makeup that was streaking down her face, she began to look a bit more presentable. Unfortunately the wipe did little to hide her red rimmed eyes.

Fishing around the console again she pulled out an old pair of sunglasses. She didn't care that it wasn't sunny, she had no intention of letting anyone see her in such disarray. Gillian had learned long ago to hide her distress from the rest of the world. No one else should have to bear her burdens. They were hers for a reason.

Stepping out of the car, she walked across the parking lot and into the travel center. Before going to get her coffee she noticed an electronics kiosk. They had pre-paid cell phones. Purchasing one, in case of an emergency, she shoved it in her purse before heading over to the restroom. After using the facilities and washing her hands, she headed to the Starbucks counter. Surprisingly the line was not so long. To expedite things she ordered an iced coffee with room for cream. In typical fashion, they got her name wrong on the cup. It said Jovon. Shaking her head, she went to the little counter and added her cream and a little brown sugar. Returning to her car, she sat back in her seat for a moment drinking in the cold liquid.

'Where should I go,' she thought. In another hour she would be in North Carolina. She could go to one of the beaches there she thought, or continue onto South Carolina. She didn't really feel like taking too many roads; the simple act of driving the same highway seemed to be helping to distract her from Cal... He knew how much she … disliked that detective. Her chest constricted and she let out a cry. She slowly took some calming breaths. She had to push those thoughts aside. She would just drive. Just keep driving until she felt like stopping. Cranking the engine, she headed back out onto the road.

* * *

"Gillian! I know you're in there. OPEN UP!" Cal banged on Foster's door in frustration.

"Maybe she's not home, Cal." Wallowski said standing behind him looking slightly put out and wondering for the twentieth time why she was there. "Why don't you give her space and let her come to you when she's ready?"

"It's your bloody fault I'm in this mess. She's not at the office. So she has to be here." Cal shot back once again banging on the door.

"I'm not sure how it's my fault as I tried to bow out of lunch." She muttered under her breath. "There are a lot of other places she could be, you know. Maybe she had an appointment, or she decided to get coffee, or a drink…" She trailed off as he glared over his shoulder at her. Sighing she decided to put on her detective hat. "Cal her lights are off. If she was home do you really think she'd be sitting in the dark?"

Cal was ready to spit another diatribe at her, but paused at the logic she offered. Frowning he pulled out his keys. Searching for Foster's spare, he opened the door to the detective's protests. Ignoring her, he marched in still yelling for Gillian. Storming past the kitchen and living room he walked through her place checking each room only to find each one empty. His stomach felt like lead. She wasn't here. Shazzer had been right. Not that he'd admit it to her.

He found her waiting for him in the living room. "I've got to find her. Where would she go?" He said it more for himself but Sharon assumed he was asking her as a detective.

"Does she have family? Or close friends nearby?"

Cal looked at her but she was avoiding his eyes. She had learned from his earlier bristling. "No, Gillian isn't in contact with her family. She has a few friends but most of them live out of town. I suppose I could call them and try to track her down."

"I'm sure she'll love that." Sharon whispered sarcastically under her breath.

"Oi, if you're not going to be helpful you can just leave." Cal pointed at the door.

Sharon raised her eyebrows thinking to herself that leaving was perfectly fine with her. Before she could get up though Cal caught her intention and rethought his own position. "Gillian has a lot of friends. I can't be tracking them all down." He also didn't want to piss her off further by harassing her loved ones. He was in a right state and knew that he would not be able to control his drive to find her and that would mean interrogating and possibly alienating people she cared about. Perhaps that was not the best strategy. Though he wouldn't rule it out entirely. He'd reserve it as a backup plan in case he couldn't find her the old fashioned way.

Wallowski had earlier deduced that by giving Eli her laptop and phone, Gillian had effectively cut Cal off. He couldn't use her phone to track her by GPS either. He'd have to follow her another way, like by tracking her credit card purchases. 'Oh crap' she thought as she realized by the look on his face that he had drawn the same conclusion.

* * *

Gillian had been driving for more than five hours now. Coming out of her haze, she had noticed more of those giant billboards advertising for South of the Border. She had always wondered what it was all about so she decided to stop there for gas. It was not quite what she expected. It was gaudy. The bright colors and cheesy décor were a bit overwhelming. She did like the giant Pedro as its ridiculousness took her mind off of her mood for a moment. But only a moment.

Not ready to stop, and definitely not wanting to stay in south of the border, she grabbed a few bottles of water and some snacks from the gas station store before getting back in her car and continuing south. Having no plan, she figured she'd just drive until she was too tired to continue and then find a hotel to spend the night.

* * *

"No Cal. I can't do it." Wallowski huffed crossing her arms in front of her. They'd been having this fight all the way back to the Lightman group.

"Can't or won't?" He replied snarkily.

"It's illegal." She reminded him yet again.

"I seem to remember you not being so squeaky clean before, right? Look, it's Gillian. I've got to find her." Cal got up in her space as he pleaded with her to run the credit card check for him.

"Maybe she doesn't want to be found? Have you thought about that? She may just need some time…" She realized her pleas were falling on deaf ears.

"What if she's hurt, luv? What if she's been kidnapped or somefing? At least this way I'll know it's her own decision yeah?" Cal knew he was going to win this argument. That was part of the allure of having Wallowski in his back pocket. She knew it too.

She let out a frustrated sigh. "Fine. I'll see what I can do." Turning she left his office and headed for her car. That man really pissed her off sometimes but she knew she owed him. She also knew how much Gillian Foster meant to him. "She better be using her cards." If she was going to go to all of this trouble, she did not want to tell Cal she had found nothing.

* * *

Gillian made it all the way to Savannah before realizing that eight hours of driving was enough. Spotting a sign for a Marriott right off the highway she took the off ramp and headed toward the hotel. After parking, she entered and approached the front desk. The clerk gave her a funny look; probably because she had put her sunglasses back on when she got out of the car. She figured they would generate less questions than her red eyes.

"Bit bright for you ma'am?" Dale asked smiling at her. His name proudly displayed on his badge.

"Mmmm." She murmured shutting down the conversation. "I'd like a room for the night please." She fished around her purse for her ID and a credit card. Handing them over, she appreciated his prompt response. She could tell by his face that Dale had received her message loud and clear.

"Absolutely Miss… Dr. Foster." He said reading her card, then began typing up things in the computer. "We have a room with a double bed or one with a King, the rate is $125 for the night plus taxes."

"That's fine." She confirmed.

"One key or two?" he asked and she raised one finger letting him know she only needed the one. He continued to type into his computer, before scanning the key card and writing her room number down on the card holder. "You're all set." Handing her the card, he pointed at the number he had written. "That's your room. If you turn around you'll see the elevators right there. You can take them to your floor." He gestured at the first number on the holder. She nodded confirming her understanding. "If you need anything my name's Dale." He pointed at his name tag and smiled.

"Oh. Actually, do you have a… um… one of those toothbrushes and toothpaste?" She realized that she had no toiletries. He looked her over while nodding realizing that she had no bags with her.

"Yes, ma'am, we have a whole bunch of toiletries. Here, let's see…" He reached under the counter and pulled out a container filled with an assortment. He identified them as he laid them on the counter. "We've got a toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, Q-tips, razor, shaving gel, comb… I think that's about it. Your room will have soap, shampoo, conditioner, and a hair dryer. Is there anything else that you might need? We might have it in the back?" Dale gestured over his shoulder behind him.

"No, No that is perfect. "Thank you, Dale." She managed to smile at him and he lit up in return. Grabbing the items from the counter, she turned around and approached the elevator. She was so grateful when it opened immediately. Riding to her floor she felt completely spent. Her room was just two doors down from the elevator, but by the time she got there exhaustion took over; so she stripped off her clothes and dove into the pillows face first. She dropped quickly into a fitful sleep, full of nightmares she couldn't quite remember in the morning.

* * *

"Did you find her?" Emily rushed him at the door causing him to jump and drop his phone. He had been trying to check for texts as he entered his house and hadn't expected his daughter to accost him immediately. Though he realized he should have.

"Oy" Cal shouted even though he had already composed himself. "Give us a minute?"

"Us?" She said looking behind him to see if Gillian was there.

"Figure of speech luv." He turned and shut the door behind him.

"Oh." Her deflated response really bothered him.

"I'm sorry luv, but there was no sign of Gillian at her house or back at the office." His own pain reflected on his face. He didn't feel the need to hide it from her. It was sort of part of his penance he figured. "Look, I'll find her, and I'll make this right." He squeezed her arm in a comforting gesture before taking off his coat and walking into the kitchen to pour himself a glass of scotch. He may not deserve it but he definitely needed it.

"I'm sorry dad." Emily said quietly coming into the kitchen behind him. He looked up at her. "I know I shouldn't have gotten so upset… it's just I put so much time into this and I was really excited about it and Gillian… she means a lot to me." Emily looked at him with her big eyes full of sadness.

"Nah luv. It's all on me this time. I appreciate you trying to make it better, Em, but this is on me."

"Why'd you bring her dad? Is she really that important to you?" Emily clenched her jaw and gripped at her hands waiting for her dad's response.

"What? Shazzer? No luv, I just, I… I don't know. She had a case and it piqued my interest you know? And I thought it would just make sense to keep talking and so I told her to come. Then you got chee… upset and I don't know, I guess I wanted to make a point. I'm really sorry Em. I should have listened better." Cal grabbed his daughter in a hug.

"Well listening isn't your strong suit." Emily's voice was muffled against his chest. He rumbled a small laugh. She looked up at him. "You need to fix this dad. Wallowski may not that important to you but Gillian is and she needs to know that."

Cal looked down at her feeling his gut tighten. He knew Emily was right. Especially now. Man he was a right tosser. He just didn't know what Gillian would say when he told her he loved her.

"Really dad?" Emily eyed him incredulously. "She saw you at the table with your daughter and Shazzer and then disappears without a trace. You really think she doesn't feel the same way about you?"

Cal's eyebrows rose at his daughter's spot on reading of his emotions and also at the hope that flickered in his chest at her words. "Pull the other one dad." Emily smirked at him breaking the tension.

He grabbed her around the neck and kissed the top of her head. "Cheeky."

* * *

Gillian stared at the numbers on the hotel's alarm clock watching them tick away slowly. It seemed as if she woke every hour just to check the time. Looking back at the numbers again she groaned and grabbed the pillow holding it over her face for a moment in frustration. She had slept poorly, waking from horrible nightmares that left her feeling even more drained. Sighing she set the pillow to the side of her and sat up. Might as well grab some coffee and get on the road. She wasn't going to get any more sleep.

Slowly getting out of the bed, she stretched before entering the bathroom. Turning on the water to let it heat up, she brushed her teeth and used the facilities. Stepping into the shower she used the supplied soap, shampoo and conditioner. The hot water felt so good on her muscles which were super tight. She stayed in far longer than she normally would, feeling the water cascade over her skin. An interesting side effect, to this break down she appeared to be having, was this feeling of being totally present in the moment. She was not thinking about anything but exactly where she was and what she was doing. Any other thought that threatened to enter her head, especially about the prior day, was quickly shut down. She simply felt the hot water and ignored everything else.

By the time she stepped out of the shower, the large mirror was fogged up with water droplets running down its flat surface. She wrapped the towel around herself after a quick rub of her wet hair. Plugging in the hair dryer, she flipped her head over and ran her fingers through her hair as she dried it. When it was partly dry, she stood back up and ran the comb through it. She used the deodorant they had provided before slipping back into the clothes she had worn yesterday. At some point, she would need to get new clothes, but for now she just wanted a strong cup of coffee and to hit the road.

Grabbing her things, she dried off the toiletries Dale had given her the night before then slipped them into her purse. Glancing around the room she confirmed she had everything she needed. Leaving a few dollars along with the key card on the dresser, she went in search of coffee. It was too early for breakfast, but there was a fresh pot of coffee, creamers, sugar, and a few pastries. Gillian grabbed a cherry tart in a napkin and poured herself two cups of coffee into the small travel cups. Somehow she knew one would never be enough. She added several creamers and two packets of sugar to each and stirred before attaching the lids. Pulling out her car keys, she balanced them along with the pastry and two cups of coffee. She was eager to get back on the road.

Pulling out of the hotel, she spotted a gas station and stopped to fill her tank before making her way back to the highway and continuing south on I-95. She still had no plan other than to keep driving; so she clung to that. Sipping her coffee, she settled into the mindless comfort of a long commute to nowhere.

* * *

Sharon Wallowski was irate. Two damn homicides first thing that morning; one a fourteen year old boy killed during a gang initiation gone wrong and the other a grandmother robbed at gunpoint in her home by a crack head looking to score his next fix. That day she'd been from one crime scene to the other and still no leads. They'd canvassed and grilled potential witnesses and nothing on either crime.

If that wasn't bad enough, she'd had to deal with constant harassing phone calls from Cal Lightman. No matter how many times she explained to him that he would have to be patient and wait until she was back in the office, he didn't seem to get it. She half contemplated blocking his number but knew the wrath that would follow would not be worth the temporary reprieve.

Her phone rang again and before she even read the screen she knew who was calling her. Opening it she didn't even acknowledge him. "I'm on my way back to the office as we speak. I will run it then and will call you once I have something." She felt like a broken record.

"About bloody time. You call me when you've run it." The cockney voice growled at her before hanging up.

Rolling her eyes, she answered for her own enjoyment. "Anything to shut you up."

* * *

Gillian Foster had a destination.

She had been on the road less than two hours when she crossed the Florida state border. The billboards advertising Florida's main attractions caught her eye. One in particular stood out. It was a place she had always wanted to go. Those who knew her well would be shocked she had never been before; but every time she had tried to visit in the past something had stopped her.

As a child she had begged and begged to visit. Her mind replayed the memory of the one time they attempted to go. It had been meant as her birthday present. She and her parents would drive down and stay a long weekend, visiting the parks and celebrating.

The week leading up to their departure had been torture. A young Gillian, happily packed repacked her suitcase every night; sometimes twice a night, after discussing what essentials she would need with her friends from school.

"You'll definitely need a swimsuit and a towel." Emma had informed her. Her cousin had visited the year before and Emma had seen her the night before. "My cousin said their hotel had a pool with a slide!"

A collective "whoooaaaa," had emanated from the kids gathered around Gillian's lunch table. News of a trip like this was too exciting not to share.

"You'll need flip flops then to wear to the pool." A girl named Angeline chimed in.

"And a ball." A boy called out, but Gillian didn't catch who before another shouted, "Goggles."

"Isn't it like super-hot in Florida?" Davey Miller asked. Gillian felt her cheeks flush. He was super cute.

"I think so…" she managed to respond. "I'll definitely pack shorts." He beamed at her and she smiled shyly back.

Each day she would get more insights from the kids and they would discuss all the things she would get to see.

"I hear Space Mountain is like the biggest roller coaster." Davey again. The way he was smiling as he came up beside her. Gillian began to wonder if maybe he liked her too.

"And there's a pirate ride," Tomas pushed between them. Gillian frowned but he didn't notice, addressing the audience of kids. "With a boat and you like plunge down." He gestured with his books as if they were a boat crashing down on the table top; mimicking the sound he imagined the ride would make, "Whoooosshhhh."

"And you'll get to meet the princesses, like Cinderella and Snow White." The girls all sighed while the boys carried on about pirates and Captain Hook.

Their excitement was infectious. By the time she got off the bus that Thursday she could barely contain herself. But as she stepped off the bus, she stopped short. An ambulance was parked in her driveway.

Gillian's stomach churned angrily as she watched the EMTs load someone strapped to a stretcher into the back of the ambulance. From out of nowhere her mother grabbed her arm. "Gillian get in the car. We have to follow them. It's your father. He fell off the roof."

They drove behind the emergency vehicle all the way to the hospital. The sirens screamed in her ears. Everything outside the window was a blur. When the ambulance pulled up in front of the doors, her mother drove past and parked in one of the designated spots. Getting out of the car she followed her mom through the double glass doors. Looking around she didn't see her father anywhere.

"Stay in the waiting area Gillian, I need to speak with the doctors." Gillian did as she was told. She quietly walked to a chair and sat down. There was a large clock hanging on the wall in front of her and she watched as its hands ticked away the minutes, then the hours. Her mother had disappeared almost immediately with a nurse and didn't return until the clock read almost midnight.

Gillian looked up at her expectantly. "Your father had to have surgery." Her mother stated simply. "As I told you before, he fell off of the roof. He is in recovery. The doctors say it went well and he will be moved to his own room soon. Once he has been moved we will go home. Tomorrow you can come back and visit him…after school." She added it as an afterthought.

Gillian's heart fell. She read between the lines. She knew her father had been drinking.

She also knew that if she was going to school then their trip was off. Deep down she knew she should be worried about her father and not about the trip, but lately her dad seemed to be in the hospital every few weeks or so. This was her fourth visit here in a month. He was prone to injuring himself when he drank. And he seemed to be drunk all the time now.

Gillian knew the drill; knew her mother expected her to behave and sit there until she herself was ready to leave. Tomorrow she'd go to school and have to act as if nothing had happened. Her mind began formulating a story to tell her classmates. Undoubtedly they would have seen the ambulance and would wonder why she was in school after going on and on about their trip to Disney World. It wouldn't be the first or the last time she covered for her father.

Getting on the school bus the next day she had a pit in her stomach. Everyone whispered around her as she took the first empty seat she spotted. She could hear snatches of their conversations. "I saw an ambulance take her daddy out yesterday…" "Guess she's not going to Disney…" "Wonder what she did wrong…" "My dad said her father's a drunk…" Gillian felt tears welling in her eyes but with every ounce of will she could muster she kept them from falling.

The classroom was no better. She waited until the very last minute before entering and taking her seat. She felt the eyes on her. She made it until the lunch break before they descended on her in the cafeteria.

"Thought you were going to Disney World?" Tomas, the pirate lover, was the first to question her. The harsh smugness of his words hurt her little heart.

"My father was fixing our shingles and he fell off the roof. He had to have surgery and he is still in the hospital. So we will have to go another time." Gillian repeated the words she had rehearsed in her head over and over the night before.

"I heard your dad's a drunk." Someone called out from the back.

Gillian's mouth shut tightly and she raised her chin defiantly. "You want to say that to my face?" She called back fisting her hands. No one responded or moved.

"Surgery is scary." Angeline filled the silence, changing the direction of the conversation smoothly. She smiled understandingly at Gillian. "My sister had to have her appendix out last year and she stayed in the hospital for a week. It was scary."

Gillian smiled back gratefully. The conversation quickly shifted to hospital and surgery stories. By the time lunch had ended Gillian's trip was no longer on anyone's mind. As she gathered her things though, she spotted Davey who gave her a sad smile before walking away holding hands with Emma. A weight settled on her small shoulders as she walked back to class.

Her dad was in the hospital almost a week. Each day she visited him after school. She was only allowed in for a short time to visit before being told to leave his room. She would find a place to pass the time while waiting for her mother, who was adamant on staying until visiting hours had ended.

Neither she nor her parents mentioned Disney World or Gillian's birthday. Since no one made cupcakes for her to take to school, she didn't mention it to her teacher or her classmates. They had moved onto Jerry O'Donnell's newly acquired braces.

Gillian's birthday passed with her sitting by herself in the hospital cafeteria. She held out hope that maybe her mother would remember and they would celebrate that night at dinner. But when they arrived home there was no cake, no presents, no birthday outfit; no reminder that Gillian had arrived into the world. Normally so stoic, she tried to hold it together, but burst out crying at the dinner table. Her mother had been disgusted by her display, though she didn't register the reason, nor did she ask.

"Your father is in the hospital. God knows how much pain that man has endured after falling off the roof. He is holding his head up high and you are crying? How can you be so selfish? What do you have to cry about? Whatever it is, well, no one needs to carry your burdens Gillian. They are yours to handle. Now you march yourself on upstairs and don't come back until you are over this." Her mother gestured to Gillian's face. "I want to see you smiling. A real smile, not one of those fake ones you were wearing earlier. Your father needs to know that you support him. He doesn't need your worries on top of his healing. Don't be so selfish. Now upstairs." Her mother had pointed her way to her tearful daughter.

Gillian entered her room, grabbed her pillow from the bed and crumpled herself on the floor of her closet, closing the door behind her. She hid her sobs in the pillow. "It's not fair" her muffled voice was barely audible. If her mother heard her, she would only be reprimanded worse.

After crying it out as quietly as she could, she shakily got up and went to her bathroom to wash her face off. Returning to her bed, she looked around the room and sighed. She'd have to convince her mother that she was happy. Gathering her courage, she decided to play her game. The game usually helped her get through these situations. It wasn't the first or the last time this would happen. Especially with her father's drinking.

Her mother was all about propriety and saving face. So Gillian had to remain stoic. She had years of learning how to hide her emotions. She analyzed how much the people around her hid. They didn't show what they were feeling. It was some kind of unwritten rule. Everyone had to look pristine and put together and they always held their heads high and smiled as if nothing bothered them. Gillian learned to never trust faces. Instead she learned to read their voices. For some reason, they didn't hide those so well. She thought back to her mother's harsh words. Her voice had been strained revealing that her mother was nervous and on edge. The accident must have been worse than she wanted Gillian to know.

Gillian took a deep breath and started thinking about the big things in her life. She had both of her parents alive, that was good. She had a house she lived in and her own room. She was not hungry, well not really hungry as she had been sent to her room before getting to finish her supper. She was healthy and she wasn't in the hospital. She was strong and could run fast.

Usually the big things helped her feel grateful and that made her feel happy. But it didn't seem to be working tonight. The reflection in her mirror still didn't look happy. She'd have to try harder.

Looking around the room she spotted the sweater that her aunt had sent her earlier in the week. It wasn't really a present, her aunt's housekeeper had dried the angora and it had shrunk to a size too small for her aunt to wear, but still it was new and it was hers. She slipped the sweater on and admired the softness on her skin. So she had a birthday outfit. She managed a half smile.

But no birthday cake. Biting her lower lip, she remembered her stash of hidden chocolate. Peeking out her door she could tell her mother was still in the kitchen, so she proceeded, despite hearing her mother's voice inside her head, 'Gillian sweets are not meant for young ladies. You'll ruin your skin and your teeth. Not to mention your thighs when you are older.' That's why Gillian had a secret stash. One her mother could never know about.

Softly she pulled out her treasure box, opened it and moved the contents aside to get to the secret compartment. She reached in and pulled out a foil wrapped confection. Taking a deep breath she lightly hummed the birthday song and pretended to blow out candles. Unwrapping the chocolate, she popped the whole thing in her mouth, letting the flavors melt on her tongue. She closed her eyes and savored the feeling and the taste. Once it was all gone she folded up the foil and put it back in its hiding spot. She'd have to get rid of that when her mother was not home.

So she'd had a birthday after all, her own version of cake and a special outfit. Checking herself again in the mirror she looked better, but still not convincingly happy. Her smile looked off. Glancing toward her packed suitcase, she realized that she hadn't received a single present. What she wanted most of all was to go to Disney World. But there was no way it would happen now. Well… not with her parents anyway.

Looking out her window she searched the sky, spotting a single star. Taking a deep breath she whispered: "I promise, that one day, I will go to Disney World, as my birthday present to myself." She exhaled her wish and her promise in one long breath.

Gillian closed her eyes and imagined an older version of herself walking into Disney World. She imagined Mickey Mouse himself greeting her and handing her a Mickey shaped balloon. Then hand in hand they walked into the park. She saw herself on the rides, then eating cotton candy and popcorn and one of those Mickey shaped ice pops. She imagined how happy she would feel. Then she smiled. Really smiled. Looking at the mirror she saw it reached her eyes. She flashed pride at having accomplished the impossible and managed to feel even happier. Holding onto that feeling, she bounded down the stairs feeling lighter than air.

Spotting her mother, she beamed at her. Her mother nodded at Gillian and gestured toward the kitchen. The young girl sat at the table, chatting away with her mother as she finished her cold meal, never commenting on the temperature.

Every day that week, she visited her father with a great big smile on her face. The nurses all commented on what a ray of sunshine she was and how much that must mean to her father that she could stay so strong and happy for his sake. Her mother had nodded with pride.

Gillian's mind shifted from the memory to what her younger self had taken from that experience. She realized that as a child she was aware that her own needs came last. From that point on, she made damn sure that no one ever saw her sad. Her pain became her own burden to hide. She didn't cry in front of people; not for years anyway. Instead, she found a way to smile.

Gillian knew that the night of her birthday, the last vestiges of her childhood died. Disney World was never mentioned again. It was the moment when she lost hope in her parents. It was also the first time she promised herself that as an adult she would enjoy the things she missed out on as a kid. Some promises she tried to fulfill every day, like enjoying her slushies or anything chocolate. Disney was the biggest promise and the one that was still unfulfilled.

That had only been the first time she had missed out on going. In college, her friends had discovered she had never been and planned a vacation including a stop there, but spring break partying had called too loudly and they never made it out of Daytona.

Alec had wanted to take her for years, but they kept putting it off until Sophie. They had wanted to celebrate her first birthday in Disney World. After she had been taken, they never mentioned the trip again.

So many disappointments had eventually led Gillian to forget that promise to herself. Looking up at the large advertisements, Gillian made her decision. At this point she really had nothing left to lose. Pulling over for gas and some drinks, she sat in her car and called in a reservation to the most magical place on earth.

* * *

"I'm sorry," Cal's fingers pressed down on either side of the bridge of his nose in an attempt to ward of the raging headache he had from too much scotch the night before. "She's … where?" The incredulity in his tone was not lost on Sharon Wallowski. She had been a bit surprised herself when the credit card information came back.

"She used the card at a few gas stations, a Starbucks, and a store along I-95 before staying the night at a Marriott outside of Savannah. Then early today she reserved a room for the week at Animal Kingdom. It's a Disney World resort apparently." Wallowski read off the information on the paper in her hands before handing it over to him. As if the document itself could absolve her of his disdain.

"You're bloody telling me, that my partner leaves, disappears without a word, and she goes off to bloody Disney World?" He raged out at Sharon, even though he knew it wasn't her fault, but the sheer ridiculousness of Gillian going to Disney had about blown his mind. What the fuck was she thinking? Before either he or Shazzer could say anything else Emily blew into his office.

"Gillian's in Disney?" She asked the detective who simply nodded. Cal stared at his daughter wondering what she was doing in his office at this time of morning. "Well that makes sense…" His daughter said sitting down on his couch now lost in thought.

"It makes sense?" he blanched at her. She nodded not looking up. "How in bloody hell does it make sense?" He threw his arms up in disgust.

Emily stared at him like he had three heads. "Disney World is somewhere Gillian has always wanted to go Dad." Her tone indicated her disappointment in him not knowing Gillian's secret love of Disney. "Her parents never took her and she never got to visit with Sophie."

Cal's heart dropped. When had Gillian revealed this information to his daughter? She never spoke about Sophie. Emily rolled her eyes, once again reading her father. She was becoming scarily good at it. "Don't you remember the party they had for Sophie? Right after the adoption. The theme dad…" She gestured at him.

"What are you on about? I remember pink and blue balloons…" He racked his mind trying to remember the decorations. All he saw was how beautiful and how happy Gillian looked with the baby in her arms. Like every piece of the puzzle of her life had fallen into place. His heart beat hard inside his chest. "I don't remember much else." He scoffed trying to hide the tug he felt in his gut as his mind brought up the image of Gillian with Sophie. It was soon followed by the image of Gillian the night they took her baby. Cal shuddered and wiped his hand over his face as if that could remove the memory. He couldn't remember an experience when he wanted to hurt someone more. He had felt as powerless as he had with his mother.

Emily brought him out of the downward spiral of his thoughts. "It was all baby Disney characters. Don't you remember the big baby pink Minnie Mouse doll. You commented on its size like ten times." A vague itch of a memory scratched at his mind. "I asked Gillian where she got it and she told me she had ordered it from the Disney store. You said you were surprised she hadn't driven to the bloody theme park to get it there herself. She laughed at you and said, and I quote, 'I wish I had Cal. I've always wanted to go there, since I was a little girl. My parents never got around to taking me. Now I've got a little girl I can take there as soon as she is big enough.' And you said something like, 'Well luv why not plan a company outing there on Sophie's first birthday? That way you can write it off.' Somehow she laughed and told you she loved the idea, at least for the birthday party. Said she'd look into it while she was up changing diapers and feeding the baby. You don't remember any of that?"

Cal was impressed by his daughter's recall and also by her obvious love for Gillian. To remember all of that from so long ago. "Yeah, maybe I do." He softly responded. So it was starting to make sense. Whether it had been her intent all along or not, Gillian was in Disney World. Cal sat down next to his daughter. "So what do I do?"

"Well isn't it obvious?" Emily asked smirking at her father and bumping her shoulder into his. "We're going to Disney World."


	2. Breakdown

The Most Magical Place on Earth: Chapter 2. Breakdown

* * *

I do not own Lie to Me, the characters, dialogue, or events in the episodes.

* * *

"Bloody Hell Em." He looked at her defeated. "Disney World? Really?" Then as if things couldn't get any worse his daughter giggled at him. She giggled. Sighing, he stood up. "Right then." He walked to the door, looked back over his shoulder at her and asked, "Coming?"

"Wait you're leaving now? Right now?" Shazzer asked him surprised. "What about my case?"

"Somethings are more important luv. And anyway…" Cal caught sight of something in the hallway behind him. He leaned back looking to see what it was and spotted Ria heading back from the kitchen with a cup of coffee. "Torres!" He yelled her name causing her to stop and turn toward him suspiciously. Cal motioned with his head toward his office and she walked over to him. Before she could ask what he wanted, Cal spoke to Shazzer, "Torres will help you with the case." Turning to his protégé, he then informed her, "You're in charge while I'm gone." With that he turned and walked down the hall toward the office exit. Emily jumped up from the couch, chasing after him.

"Wait! You're leaving while Foster's gone?" Ria called after him confused and a bit concerned that both of her bosses would not be around. "What about our cases?"

"Handle it!" Cal yelled back. Turning briefly before he got onto the elevator, he called one last thing to her, "No phone calls. Don't bother me or Foster!" With that he and Emily got on the elevator and with a push of the button the doors closed.

Ria turned around looking at the agitated detective. "You want to explain that?" She asked her crossing her arms in front of her.

"Are you seriously asking me to explain Cal Lightman?" Sharon raised her eyebrow at the young woman.

A long pause preceded Ria's response. "I suppose that is asking a lot." Sighing she walked over to the detective eyeing the paper she was gripping in her hands. "So tell me about this case."

* * *

Gillian followed the directions in her car's GPS. Leaving as early as she had turned out to be a good thing; she missed most of the commuter traffic. When she saw the huge signs telling her she was actually entering Disney World she felt several things at once: excitement, apprehension, longing, and some other unidentifiable emotions. Her nerves only heightened as she continued to look for the resort.

She was amazed by how long it actually took her to find the Animal Kingdom Resort once she passed the Disney World signs. 'This place is huge,' she thought. Finally spotting the turn, she checked in with a gate attendant before pulling up into a gigantic unloading area. There were people and bags and cars everywhere. The large pillars, made to look like wood beams, continued up into the ceiling of the enormous covered car park.

She parked behind a car being unloaded. Immediately, she was greeted by a valet who took her keys and asked if she had any baggage. She was tempted to make a joke, but her heart wasn't in it. Instead she shook her head in the negative and he directed her as to where to check in, before valeting her car.

Walking into the resort was even more overwhelming. The entry way was a bustle of people. Passing by them she entered a huge open area with gigantic vaulted ceilings. She couldn't get over the sheer size of the place. "Check in is right over there miss." It took Gillian a moment to realize that the porter was directing her with an open palm extended toward the reception area. Nodding, she followed his instructions and got into a short line of people awaiting their turn to register with the resort.

Spotting several young children sitting patiently, she noticed that they were gathered around a television set watching Disney cartoons that she could remember from her own childhood. One young boy, with big bouncy blond curls looked up at her and beamed. She smiled back feeling her heart thump in her chest. Her love for kids never dissipated, even if a small part of her ached whenever she was around them.

A cough behind her, brought her attention back to the queue. She stepped forward realizing she was now next in line. When she was waived over, she greeted a young lady at the kiosk. The girl had a name tag that identified her as 'Genevieve' with what Gillian assumed was her hometown of 'Lyon, France' below it. Genevieve addressed her warmly with a slight French accent. Gillian explained that her reservation was under Foster, then handed over her identification and credit card. While Genevieve was typing, she couldn't resist asking her about her hometown. "Lyon, isn't that the capital of lights?"

"Oh, wi, Madame, it is so beautiful. My family still sets out the candles in the windowsills of our home every year for the festival. You know Lyon?" The young woman's eyes lit up in joy.

"I studied languages in university and spent some time in France. Sadly, I never got the chance to see _La_ _Fête des lumières._ Perhaps one day." Gillian smiled back at her. The young lady wouldn't know the smile didn't reach her eyes.

"Oh you must visit. It will be worth your time. Tres magnifique." Finishing up her typing, she then informed Gillian that her reservation was not yet ready. "I am so sorry Dr. Foster, but your room is not yet ready. If you have a phone, I would be happy to have them call you as soon as it 'as been cleaned."

Gillian realized that she had not yet set up her temporary phone. Pulling the packaged phone out of her bag, she checked the back to see if there was a number listed. She looked up as Genevieve asked her, "Oh, would you like some help opening the package? I 'ave scissors." The young woman raised them up as if to evidence the truthfulness of her statement.

Gillian actually hadn't thought about how she would open the plastic packaging. She nodded as she handed the phone over the counter. "Thank you. I hadn't really thought through opening it. Those things are quite a pain."

"Of course Dr. Foster. Here you are." She handed the paperwork and the phone back to Gillian. "Would you like me to dispose of this?" She held up the plastic.

"Yes, thank you." Reading the paper she provided the new number to Genevieve and then asked if there was somewhere to eat.

"But of course." Pulling out a map, she pointed out several restaurants. "If you take the lifts to the first level you will find our counter service, Mara, is open and our dining room, Boma, will also be open until 11:00 a.m. After that the pool bar will open. Our wine bar and lounge will be open later this evening and if you'd like to pick up a few things, we also have the Zawadi Marketplace." Handing Gillian another sheet of paper that contained a calendar of activities, she continued her speech. "Here is a calendar of activities. In the evenings, there are campfire stories and Disney movies."

"Thank you." Gillian said folding the papers and tucking them into her purse.

"I noticed Dr. Foster that you do not 'ave any theme park tickets on your reservation. Would you like me to purchase these for you? It can be added to you room key, then you simply carry it to and from the parks." After Gillian expressed interest, Genevieve explained the benefits of purchasing a 'park hopper' so that Gillian could visit all four parks in a day if she actually wanted to, not that she thought she would.

The young woman also explained how Gillian could take buses to the parks or hotels. As Gillian had reserved the room for a week, she decided to purchase a 5 day park hopper with an extra day thrown in free. She also included the water parks. Why? She had no idea. Except that when she thought of her younger self, she knew back then she would have jumped at a chance to visit the water parks.

Having completed her purchase with Genevieve, the young woman handed over Gillian's card explaining that it not only worked in the parks for entry, but also that it would work on her room once it was ready.

"Bon Jour Dr. Gillian Foster, 'ave a Magical Day." Genevieve smiled brightly at her. Gillian thanked her politely and wished her the same. Turning she went in search of coffee and a place to sit so she could get her temporary phone working. She decided to try the dining room hoping they might have an opening. Taking the elevator to the first floor, she tried not to think of it as the 'lift' as it reminded her of Cal and that caused her stomach to clench up in pain.

Following the restaurant's signs, she found the Boma dining room. Luckily, since she was by herself, they were able to seat her right away. She was led to the corner table of a long stretch of a cushioned seat. She choose to ignore the chair and dropped down onto the softer side. The tables next to her had been pushed together for a rather large party. The group got up shortly after she sat down, leaving her mostly to herself while the wait staff cleared that table.

She peered over the menu. Originally, she had just wanted some more coffee and perhaps something light. But as she sat there, she thought about why she had decided to come. Her younger self would not have been happy with oatmeal. Spotting something on the menu, she smiled for real for the first time that day. It was a major overindulgence. Making her choice, she went to work on her phone while awaiting the wait staff.

By the time they arrived to take her order, she had a working phone. "Yes, may I please have a coffee, an orange juice, and I'd like to try the French toast bread pudding." Her inner child cheered.

The waitress smiled conspiratorially, an Amy from Gary, Indiana. "Great choice. It's fantastic and one of our more popular menu items. Would you care for anything to go with it?"

"No, that will be fine." Gillian responded before thanking her. After Amy had returned with her coffee and juice and Gillian had added her required creams and sugar, she laid her head back against the cushion and let her mind wander. And wander it did, around and around one question in particular: 'how did I get here?' A face kept trying to pop its way into her mind but she kept pushing him away. She was in public and she was not yet ready to go there.

Sitting up straight she spotted the waitress with a huge plate coming toward her grinning. Her stomach growled. Time to enjoy her newfound childhood.

* * *

"What the bloody hell do I pack to go to this… this…" Cal was completely thrown by the turn of events. His partner had left to go to bloody Disney World and now he was going to track her down and … and what? Declare his love for her? It sounded like one of her cheesy romance novels. Maybe he should dress like a Disney prince as well. "I mean, what does one wear to one of these park places? I'm not wearing tights that's for damn sure."

Emily laughed as she entered his room finding him throwing things out from his closet with a completely empty suitcase opened on the floor in front of him. "Like you could pull off tights."

"Oy!" followed by "Ow!" filtered out from the closet along with a thud signaling that her father had hit his head on a shelf in the closet when he stood up to quickly in frustration.

"Seriously dad. You own like the same outfit. Just pack it. Gillian loves you the way you are, you don't need to change now. She obviously has weird taste in men." She smirked at him as he glared out at her still rubbing his head. "It's Florida dad. It will be hot. Pack shorts, t-shirts, sneakers, and swim trunks."

"Yeah I know Florida is hot luv. I just…" His hands fell down at his sides. "It's Gillian and I'm … she… well… I just… I want it to be alright luv."

"oh Dad." Emily walked over and gave him a hug. "Whatever you wear won't matter." Emily stepped over the suitcase and hugged her father. Looking up at him, mid-hug, she frowned. "Dad, what exactly are we doing?"

"What do you mean luv?" Cal asked looking down at her, he thought it was obvious.

"I mean you're going after Gillian. She left and you're following her. You abandoned the office, you left Ria in charge, you don't seem to care about your cases. What exactly are you going to do when we get there? I mean, why now? Why not wait for Gillian to come back?"

"That's a lot of questions that is." Cal looked at his daughter and acknowledged to himself what a deflection that was. "Well, luv, I think the real question is… What if she doesn't come back?" The words tumbled out of his mouth surprising even himself. His daughter's wide eyes flashing a series of shock, hurt, fear, and then sympathy. Her arms tightened around him. Sighing, he kissed the top of her head then led her over to the bed, where they both sat down.

"She will come back dad. I mean, it's Gillian we're talking about. She always comes back." Emily looked at her father with such concern it really touched him. "No matter how stupid you've been." Well so much for daughterly concern. "Sorry, you know what I mean." She waved him along in responding after reading the disappointment on his face. He really was impressed by how good she was getting at reading expressions.

"That's the thing isn't it luv. Gillian's never not come back." He rubbed his face. "But she's also never run. That's my bit, in't it. That's what I do." Cal looked at Emily frowning. "So this time feels different, yeah. For her to leave, without a row, and just cut me off like that. It's not like her. She… she really doesn't want me to contact her."

"And that hurts." Emily looked up at her father with her big eyes.

"Aye. I feel … like my…" Heart's been ripped out of my chest. "Right arm's been cut off." Emily's eyebrow raised at his wording letting him know she didn't buy the right arm any more than he did. Sighing, he let his daughter in a bit more. "Yeah, Em, it hurts. I don't really know what I'm doing. I don't know what we're going to do when we get there. That's daft, right? I mean normally I'd know exactly what to do and all… but now, I just… don't." Emily watched her dad. It wasn't often he opened up like this. "All I keep thinking, Em, is that I need to find her and I need to know she's alright, that we're… gonna be alright."

"And are you going to tell her?" Emily shot him a look when he made to blow off her question.

He faltered before responding. "I'm… I'm scared Em. Petrified really."

She sighed. "I know you're scared dad, but what exactly are you scared about? Gillian, up to now, has never left you. She left the Pentagon. She left her husband. She. Never. Left. You. And you are not the easiest person to put up with." She held up her arms in a gesture of surrender when he moved to say something. "You know you've been hard on her and hard for her to deal with. But she NEVER left before. She is always there to pick up the pieces for you. When mom moved out. Every time you were in the hospital. And that's a lot of times."

She gave him a sideways look and he sheepishly looked down shrugging his shoulders. "Yeah luv she has always been there."

"And even if she didn't love you, which she does, cause why the hell else would she put up with you? I mean I only put up with you because I love you." She smirked at him and bumped her shoulder against his. He smiled back at his cheeky daughter. "Even if she didn't feel the same way, she'd make it work with you and you'd make it work with her, because that's what family does. That's what you've been doing for years. You both love each other. You both love what you do and the company you created. And you love me. That's an awful lot of love Dad."

"That's why it's so scary Em." Cal sighed. In for a penny, in for a pound. "You know about my mum, how she ended it all." Emily nodded. "See, Gillian, she knows it too. She knows a lot about my mum and … how I felt responsible."

"She was your therapist…" Emily started, and Cal shook his head agreeing.

"But she was more than that Em. She … well I mean, she just made it so easy, you know, to open up." Emily nodded vigorously. Gillian always made her feel safe and able to share anything. "No judgments right. She always told me it wasn't my fault that I couldn't have done nothing to help. Other people said it too, but with her, well, I could almost, sort of, maybe believe it a bit." Cal was gesturing with his hands as he tried to explain to Emily how he felt about Gillian and his mum. For her part, she listened intently.

"I knew when I met her, that… she was special, and that I couldn't not have her in my life." He eyed Emily closely wanting to make sure he got this right. "It wasn't sex, Em, not with Gillian, never was. I mean, I loved your mom. We were married. Gillian was married. It wasn't like that, not at all."

"It's ok Dad really. I'm a big girl. I know the issues between you and mom were not because of Gillian. And I know you didn't cheat on mom, and Gillian wouldn't do that either. I get it. It's ok." Cal nodded his head still reading her to make sure she had it right. Not seeing any signs of suspicion he sighed inwardly in relief. "You and mom were just like … gasoline and a flame thrower."

Cal laughed at that but Emily looked back at him seriously.

"No, I mean it. You two are volatile." Cal opened his mouth to speak but she cut him off. "I love you both Dad, I always will, but I _like_ you a lot better when you are separate."

"Fair enough luv." Cal shrugged acquiescing.

"Gillian and you are different. It's like you're still so … you. But … it's like you, I don't know, maybe _try_ to be better. Like you want to be better. It's hard to explain. It's like … instead of a flame thrower, you kind of manage yourself more, like a… a … blow torch. I mean you can still go overboard sometimes and cause fires, but with her you're better at keeping it in check. Mostly anyway. And you rile her up, but not nearly as much as mom. And she handles you at your worst far better than mom ever did. Mom wanted you to be different but Gillian, she doesn't try to change you. It's like she knows that is who you are. She gets why you are the way you are. She forgives you for the crap you put us all through. And she defends you and tries to get you to see why you do those destructive things. And you listen to her, mostly anyway…"

"Right, I get it Em." Cal said interrupting his daughter's rambling train of thought.

"Yeah. Right, sorry Dad." She shrugged.

"It's alright luv. And you're right. With Gillian, she gets me, mostly." He rolls his jaw around trying to figure out where to begin. "It's not your mom's fault, you know. It's mine really. I mean I let Gillian in. Deeper than anyone else. Even your mom. I didn't even realize I had done it. She has that way, right? She just gets your guard down without you knowing. Before you know it, there she is." Emily smiled at her dad. If he could only read his own face in this moment. "And you're right luv, I do want to be better for her, Em. I'm just so damned afraid I'll be bullocks at it and that … that she'll leave me too."

Emily's heart about died at his admittance. Her dad never shared this much. She didn't know how to respond but somehow he kept going.

"When I lost my mum, it was … I just lost sight of everything. I was young and I just ran, ran from all of it. Never told you much about my dad but he was a right wanker. Used to knock me and my mum about." He looked at her from under the side of his eyes and bit his cheek studying her face. Her flash of shock then anger and hurt were not unexpected but she didn't look overwhelmed so he continued. "He was long gone by the time mum… by the time she did it. I think maybe I felt like since I was there that I should have seen it. That I should have been able to stop her. I mean why would she do that Em? She was all I had and she left me. She left me." Tears had begun to run down her father's cheeks and were dripping onto his shirt. This wasn't the first time she had seen him cry but it was the first time he had been quite so open with her. She reached over and took his hand in hers. Taking a deep breath, her chin jutting out in a gesture of resolve and solidarity, she sat with her father and let him experience the pain.

After a few minutes, Cal squeezed her hand and then released her to wipe his face. She sat back knowing he was about to continue. "I, um, did some crazy things after that luv. Had something to prove, I did. Didn't really deal with it. Met your mom. Set the torch to her gasoline." He smirked at Emily, trying to lighten the mood a bit with her reference to their relationship. She rolled her eyes good-naturedly at him then smiled. "When I was at the Pentagon, something happened. Shook me pretty bad. Kind of brought up some things, some fears." He studied her eyes. There were still some things he wasn't going to share with her.

"That's when you met Gillian." It wasn't really a question but he answered her anyway.

"Yeah, that's right. Our first meeting, I was told she would evaluate me. See if I was bonkers. I think part of me kind of wondered that too. With my mum and all." Cal gestured with his hand as he mentioned his mother, only half kidding. "When I went to her office, I had this impression of what she'd be like, what it would be like, and then she just blew me away. Was nothing like I thought; just this open face and genuine concern and… you know… just so Gillian…"

"I know what you mean. She is pretty special." Emily smiled knowingly and he returned it.

"Yeah luv. Somehow she saw through my crap. And I could see on her face that she actually cared. You know, genuine." He smiled at the memory. "And even though, right off, I knew there was something she was trying to tell me but she couldn't. I could kind of see it, that she was hiding something. But she wanted to tell me. You know. She wanted to tell me. But I wasn't sure if that was it or not. There she was, so open and brilliant and honest and genuine. And I couldn't read her. It was like I could, but I couldn't. She was just … not like anyone else I had ever met. It was bloody intriguing." Cal gestured at his daughter as he spoke. "And then she got inside my head. You know. Every time. I mean every time I went back to see her, she would do it again. Just sit there and ask me questions and then I realized I was telling her things, things I didn't talk about, not to anyone, not even to myself Em. But there I was offering up my whole bloody life in a basket and she just calmly took it. And she called me on it, on my shit. But more than that. She… she cared, really cared. Like you said. And for the first time, in a very long time, I felt safe to be me, ok to be me, as I was, and… I hadn't felt that way, hadn't had that… since my mum. For all her faults, mum loved me. As. I. Was. And Gillian made me feel that way again. And … I got hooked."

Emily nodded at him. Gillian made her feel that way too. Made a lot of people feel that way. Safe and able to share. "So basically you're hooked _and_ you love her," she wasn't about to let him forget that part, "and now she's left."

"Yeah, yeah I love her Em and I'm petrified she won't come back. I'll do anything to bring her back. However she wants." Cal ran his hand through his hair before running it down his face and resting it under his chin. "I don't know how to live without her Em and I don't want to."

"She needs to know that dad. It's not fair for her to be in the dark." Emily rested her hand on his shoulder and he turned to look back at her. She could see him thinking over what she had just said and everything he had just revealed. She could see the fear and also something else she hadn't seen before. Her eyes widened in surprise as it registered. He had hope.

"Right. Time to stop being a wanker and tell her the truth and hope she doesn't run somewhere crazier than bloody Disney World." Cal stood up laughing at the ridiculousness of the situation. He was crying in front of his daughter over an empty suitcase and they were about to chase the woman he loved to a bloody theme park. The woman he loved. He sat back down and ran his hands over his face. "What if it's not enough Em?"

"You'll never know until you try Dad." She looked at him with sympathy. "But let's face it, the fact that you of all people are going to Disney World to find her and tell her how important she is to you has got to win you some mad gravy points." She looked up at him with her big eyes all serious. He smiled down at her and pulled gently on a lock of her hair.

"You really think so?"

"I know so. She loves you dad. Trust me, everyone can see it even if you don't yet." Emily smiled sneakily at him.

"Mad gravy points?" Her father asked raising an eyebrow and ignoring her statement about Gillian loving him, even though his stomach flipped at the possibility.

"Yes mad gravy points. She loves you dad and she loves crazy romantic gestures, I mean look at the books she reads." Standing up Emily walked over to his suitcase and picked up a particularly wrinkled shirt and held it up for him raising her eyebrows. "You're lucky she does love you. She obviously didn't fall for you based on your ability to iron."

"It must have been my winning personality." He smirked back, grabbing the shirt from her and tossing it into the suitcase defiantly.

"Sure dad. That must be it." She grabbed the wrinkled mess out of the bag and tossed it at him. "Don't pack that." Turning she headed back toward her room. "Now hurry up. Ready or not, Gillian's waiting." She beamed at him before disappearing from view.

Sighing he picked up the disheveled shirt and tossed it into his hamper. Ready or not was right. He needed to pack fast. Too bad he didn't have a stack of summer clothes neatly tied up with a bow just ready for him to… Wait. He did!

Experiencing a light-bulb moment, he hunted through his shelves until he spotted the bundle of laundered clothing wrapped in plastic. After he and Emily had returned from Mexico, he had dropped off his clothes at the dry cleaners on their way home from the airport. "Never know what kind of parasites might have been in there." He had half joked with Emily. She had responded with a trademark eye roll. He hadn't felt the need to elaborate and disclose the interesting discoveries he had made in his luggage when returning from his tribal adventures. He did not care to repeat them. Not having need for the warm weather clothes since then, he had simply deposited the whole bundle onto a shelf.

Grinning he broke into the plastic, counted out the outfits as he dropped them into the suitcase. Adding a few jeans and sweaters along with his shoes and undergarments, he deposited toiletries into a travel case before adding it to the suitcase and zipping the bag shut. Grabbing a light jacket, he stood the suitcase up and wheeled it behind him out the door.

"Meet you in the car in five Em." He called out to her as he descended the stairs. He paused at the door to his study. Popping in, he glanced around once. Going to his personal safe, he squatted down in front of it and opened the faux book shelf hiding it from view. Spinning the wheel to the proper digits he reached in and pulled out a carved wooden box. When he peered inside, his heart did a little flip.

He squatted there for a moment just staring inside before making his decision. Pocketing the contents before shutting and locking the safe, he stood up and closed the shelf hiding it from view. He heard Emily at the top of the stairs and popped out before she entered the kitchen.

"All set Dad." She said smiling at him.

As he held the door open for her, he switched off the lights. "Right. Let's go turn your dad into prince charming."

"There's not enough tights in the world for that dad." She called over his shoulders.

"Oy, I'll have you know your father is quite charming."

"Sure dad, pull the other one."

* * *

Gillian could not eat another bite. It had been delicious. Delicious but so sweet and so heavy. Thank God for the coffee or her mind would have completely shut down from the carb overload. She was signing the credit card slip when her phone went off. She jumped a little, she was too full to move any more than that. Answering it, she was told that her room was now cleaned and ready for her.

With gratitude she stood and made her way back up to the lobby. Before heading to her room, she wanted to stop and get a few things from the store. She was amazed by how large it was. Seemed everything about Disney was grand. She wandered through the store, picking up a basket for her items.

Noticing a snack area, she grabbed a couple bottles of water and some Mickey Mouse shaped gold fish crackers for later, despite the protests of her full stomach. She then hit up the toiletry section, grabbing sunblock, an actual brush, and a better quality toothbrush and toothpaste. She also spotted a ladies section. They didn't have much but there was a simple white sundress that made her feel girly. Checking for her size she slipped it into her basket along with a pair of flip flops. At least she'd have an outfit for tomorrow. Not spotting any undergarments she sighed figuring she'd have to wash hers in the room.

She walked to the check out. Spotting wine behind the counter, she asked for a bottle of red and a cork screw. After completing the transaction, she carried the bag out to the lobby. Looking at the map Genevieve had provided to her she located the appropriate elevators to take to her room. After riding to her floor, it took far longer than she had expected to find her room. The halls seemed to go on forever. By the time she arrived, she felt drained. No more carbs for breakfast.

Trying her key card, she sighed with relief when she heard a clicking noise and saw the lights flash green. The last thing she wanted was to have to walk all the way back to the lobby. She entered the room and turned on the lights, locking the door behind her. It was really nice actually. She had opted for a one bedroom. Depositing the shopping bag on a table, she checked out the bedroom. It had two queen beds. A small towel had been folded into the shape of a mouse and laid out on one of the beds. Gillian picked it up and smiled. She would have loved this as a child.

She sat on the edge of the bed and looked at the folded towel in her hand. Her little self would be so proud. So why didn't she feel happy?

A tear ran down her cheek, followed by another. She tried swiping them away, but the flood gates quickly opened. Curling into a fetal position on the bed she buried her face into the pillows sobbing uncontrollably. Her whole body shook. She was in the happiest place on earth, but she was alone and her heart was breaking.

She cried for that little girl all those years ago who had been rejected by her parents. She cried for the mother she had been for fifty seven days before her baby had been snatched from her arms. She cried for her failed marriage with Alec and her lost chance at love with Dave. She cried for abandoning her work was as a psychologist. Leaving behind her own dream to follow Cal, so he could create _his_ company with his science.

Cal.

Thinking of him brought on a fresh bout of tears. How could her life possibly continue without him? He was everywhere. Eight years of her life were tied up in this man. She had put everything into their… _his_ business. She had left everything behind following him, trusting him.

He was all she had had left. Now there was nothing.

She cried, the emptiness consuming her. Sobs wracked her body. She choked and gasped and struggled to breath. Eventually the pain was too much and she cried herself into unconsciousness.

* * *

Cal hadn't even considered driving to Florida, instead he had Emily book last minute flights for them to Orlando. He actually had no idea how Gillian had done it. That long in a car would have driven him insane. Still he was a fidgety mess on the plane. Emily had told him to calm down more times than he cared to admit. Now sitting on some Disney bus with some stupid video playing on the screen above the seat in front of him and a bunch of families chatting happily around him, he was even more on edge.

"Dad, seriously, calm down. We'll be there soon alright." Her big eyes stared at him with both concern and frustration.

"I'm fine luv, really, just tired of sitting is all." His daughter eyed him incredulously.

"Have you thought about what you'll say to her when we get there?" Cal stared at her blankly. "I'll take that as a no. Dad, you have like a plan for everything. Aren't you famous for the long con? Well you need a plan. Right? I mean were you just going to run into the hotel, hope she is sitting in the lobby, and say," and in her best imitation of her father she continued, "Foster, needed to tell you somefing, I luv you luv, 'fought you oughta know, right, now that's settled, Bob's your uncle."

"Bob's your uncle?" He looked at her half impressed by her accent and her knowledge of him and half annoyed at her cheek. She was his daughter.

Emily smirked back at him. "You do say that Dad. You know you do." He finally broke and laughed with her. Grabbing her around the neck he hugged her to him for a second.

"So 'ow do we go about this Em? Can't rush in and declare my love for Foster then. Though I thought that's how they did it in those crappy novels the two of you are always reading." Emily rolled her eyes at him.

"Seriously dad? Romance novels?" Emily looked up at the screen in front of them in time to see Cinderella dancing with her prince. "Although…"

Cal took one look at his daughter, then up to the screen. Spotting the prince's outfit, he groaned inwardly. "Oy. You promised. No tights Em!"

She grinned evilly back at him.

"Bloody hell."

"You've been saying that a lot Dad. You really need to learn to relax, de-stress… maybe you should take a vacation." Emily smirked at him.

"You're a riot Em. Absolutely Hi-larious."

* * *

Gillian's swollen eyes opened slowly and she blinked a few times trying to figure out where she was. She wasn't in her room or in her office. She wasn't in Cal's office. Cal… He'd be calling her a cry baby. She smiled and then frowned at the thought. It hurt.

Sitting up shakily her breath hitched. She wiped at the hair stuck on her face and rubbed at her eyes. Her stomach growled. She looked down at it and laughed at herself. Well at least she still had her sense of humor. Here she was in Disney World, had cried herself to sleep and woke up starving. She looked at the clock on the side of the bed and blinked a few times in surprise. No wonder she was hungry, she slept far longer than she had thought.

'Should I order in and take a long hot bath or take a shower and go grab food?' She wondered as she shakily rose and walked into the bathroom. Looking at herself in the mirror, she groaned at her reflection. She'd looked worse, but this was still bad. Her eyes were puffy and dark, her hair was matted against her cheeks, and there were lines on her face from the pillows.

Turning, she went in search of the toiletries she had purchased. Pulling each item out of the shopping bag, she spotted the gold fish crackers. Her stomach growled again so she tore them open and shoveled a handful into her mouth, moaning in appreciation. She opened the bottle of water and chased another mouthful of crackers before returning to the bathroom.

Opting for the shower, she felt more alive after emerging from the hot water. She wrapped a towel around her and walked back into the living room. The dress she had bought earlier was draped over the back of the chair. She fingered the cotton material and thought about how different this was from her usual attire. It was so light, so freeing. Just a simple summer dress. She hadn't worn anything like this in so long. Not since…

Gillian's memory settled on a very special occasion when she had worn a sundress. It had been a light lilac color. She had spotted it while shopping for a birthday present. It was in the store front window and it had just called to her. Seemed like such an appropriate dress for a little girl's birthday party. On a whim, she had gone in and tried it on. She remembered how happy she had felt when she paid for it and carried it out of the store. It had white and purple flowers on it. The flowers had inspired her with the present she ended up purchasing.

She had been so happy with the dress, she had picked up a pair of sandals to wear with it. Then headed into a department store to look at jewelry. As she browsed, she spotted a kiosk filled with jewelry made for young girls. A white gold bracelet with a purple flower pendant was sitting at its center atop a small pillow. It called out to her and she had immediately called over the sales attendant.

It was a little bit more than she had planned to spend, but she knew she had to get it for Emily. She remembered how she had painstakingly wrapped the gift with purple paper, a white bow, and added a carnation dyed purple on top. Emily had been so excited when she opened it.

It was the first birthday party she had attended for Emily; the first one after meeting Cal at the Pentagon. She remembered they had still been working out of his kitchen when the pig-tailed 8 year old had hopped into the room and proudly presented Gillian with a hand-made invitation. Although at the time she had no idea it was an invitation. It had been covered with purple glitter with some pink animal drawn in the middle.

"I'm turning 9 on Saturday, Ms. Gillian, and I'm having a Kim Possible party." Emily had formally addressed her while presenting her sparkly creation.

"Kim Possible?" Gillian remembered asking looking over at Cal who raised his eyebrows and gave her a look that best read 'be glad you have no idea.'

"She's like the coolest secret agent. Her best friend's Ron Stoppable. He has a naked mole rat." She pointed at the pink thing on the card. Gillian made a mental note to look up naked mole rats. "She fights crimes and stops the bad guys. She's kind of like dad, only cooler." Gillian couldn't suppress the laugh when she heard Cal's "Oy" in response.

"I'm way cooler." Cal puffed up his chest as he corrected his daughter.

"Whatever dad. So not the drama." Rolling her eyes, she turned back to Gillian and beamed excitedly. "We're even gonna have nachos!" She hopped up on her toes.

"That sounds delicious." Gillian couldn't help but adore Emily in all her youthful exuberance.

"SO?" Emily's eyeballs got both serious and wide as she waited for Gillian to respond. Gillian however was lost as to what she was asking.

"Can you make it, luv?" Cal clarified for her reading her confusion. "Here on Saturday?"

"Oh," Gillian realized then that Emily was inviting her, and based on Cal's clarification he was seconding her invitation. "Of course Emily. I'd be delighted."

The squeal and hug that followed had left Gillian beaming. She couldn't get over how quickly Emily and she had bonded. The phone rang and before either she or Cal could move, Emily had bounded over to it screaming, "I'll get it!"

"We're in the bloody room Em!" Ignoring her father, she answered it and once assured it was a friend, went off chatting into the other room. "Hard to believe she's my bricks and mortar. Cup of Rosie?"

"Wh..what?" Gillian asked in confusion, as she was still becoming accustomed to Cal's cockney rhyming.

"Oh right sorry luv. Bricks and mortar. Daughter. Rosie Lee. Tea. Fancy a cup of tea?" He held up the pot indicating his question. She nodded. "So we're starting it at noon. Emily says that nine year olds don't get out of bed as early as eight year olds. Anything about that in your psychiatry tool belt?"

Gillian just smiled back at him. She was becoming used to his teasing. "Well young women do mature faster Cal. Even at nine, Emily can begin displaying signs of entering puberty, she could…" Gillian was cut off by a hand across her mouth. Her eyes widened as she looked back at Cal.

"None of that now. No talk of pu… of the 'P' word. She's way too young." Gillian just stared back at the fear in his face, unsure how to respond as his hand was still over her mouth. He lingered far longer than might have been deemed respectful. The contact was strange as it was still early in their relationship and she was unsure how to feel about the fact that his hand was still on her mouth. He was gaping at her and staring into her eyes. She could see all of the colors in them … blue, green, brown. His hand became softer as the tension in his fingers released. A different tension took its place.

The kettle saved them both. When the whistle blew they both jumped. He pulled his hand back turning toward the kettle. "Ah Rosie Lee and no more talk of Emily's … birthday."

Emily bounced back into the room as her dad poured the tea. She rattled on about her party, completely oblivious to the awkward moment between the two adults. Gillian left shortly after finishing her tea. She felt a little guilty but was not quite sure why. Nothing had happened between them, just Cal reacting to his daughter growing up. By the time she arrived home, she had pushed aside the feeling.

* * *

"So the problem is with the main suspect. Apparently, he's a triplet, identical obviously, and that's screwing up our DNA evidence. None of them are talking, brotherly love I suppose, but the D.A. won't prosecute unless I can eliminate the other two as suspects. If I charge our suspect, but can't rule out the whereabouts or ability of the other two, the case will go down on a technicality."

"Meaning without eliminating the other two brothers, the defense will argue that it could have been any of them?" Ria bit the side of her lip as she responded to Detective Wallowski. Remembering something, her eyes lit up. "Wait, we had a case like this recently. But with twin brothers."

Gesturing for the detective to follow her, she went in search of Eli. Finding him at his desk, she walked over with Wallowski behind her. "Loker, pull up the video footage from the Whitman case. The interrogation with Cal and the twins." Loker began searching through the video files. "Wallowski's got a case with a set of triplets. If we can review the footage of Lightman with the twins, maybe we can check out the techniques he used in the interrogations. It might help us on this case."

"I can't believe Lightman really left. He should be here helping with this." Loker huffed in frustration as he searched. Wallowski perched on the corner of his desk watching him search and Torres pace.

Ria stopped mid stride and quipped back at Eli, "I'm not sure Lightman knows the definition of 'should.'"

Wallowski smirked at the comment. "That's the truth. How do you two work with him every day? A few cases is about all I can handle. I think I'd go crazy if I had to deal with him more than that."

"Yeah, I wonder about my sanity at times." Ria mumbled still gazing at the screen. "But he is the best..."

"Ah ha! Found it." Eli exclaimed. Pulling up the feed, he played it on the monitors. Sure enough, there was Cal in all his glory, getting into the face of one of the two brothers, the one he had backed up against the glass.

"You know he did it!" He pointed toward the seated brother. "He's always been a liar. He lied to you, to your mum, he lies to everyone. You just keep taking the rap for him. You're the worst kind of stupid!" Cal raged at the man.

"You leave him alone." The seated brother pushed back from the table and stood up aggressively, but made no other movements forward. Showing that he actually had no intention of defending his twin.

"You think you're helping him, do ya? Right now he's just stolen a bunch of money. Well what happens next time? Huh? What happens when he steals from the wrong man? What then? You gonna take a bullet for him?" Turning toward the now standing brother, he stepped into his personal space and pointed at the twin against the wall. "How will you feel when he ends up dead? All because you screwed up!"

Cal exhibiting all the signs of anger, turned away from both brothers for a second, and the camera caught the moment when his mask dropped. All three sat forward trying to read his expression. It was then they realized he wasn't alone in the cube. Foster was seated calmly behind the table.

Although they could only see the side of her face, it was apparent she was sending him some kind of signal. Eli pulled up another camera view and displayed the feed on a second monitor. Rewinding the feeds, they watched as certain expressions passed over first Foster's and then Lightman's faces. It was obvious they were communicating non-verbally.

"It's like they have their own language." Wallowski whispered watching the exchange.

"They really do." Torres responded looked over at the cop, chewing her lip and wondering if that bothered her. Wallowski caught Ria's eyes and the young woman attempted to soften what she thought might have been a blow to the detective. "I mean, they've worked together a long time."

Ignoring the implication Ria's follow up statement gave, she opted for a deflection. "You've got a lot of loyalty to them." Ria's chin jutted out defiantly in response while Eli looked innocently between them. "No, I don't mean that as a bad thing. In my business loyalty is good." Ria raised her eyebrow, Loker coughed to cover up an impolite laugh, and Wallowski sighed. "Yeah, I don't need to do what you do to know what that meant. Maybe too much loyalty isn't so good." She shrugged her shoulders. Ria looked down at her hands unsure what to say in response.

"Well, it's easier to be loyal to Foster, not so much with Lightman." Eli posed.

Ria nodded. "Yeah, we respect Foster." Ria looked at the detective, who picked up on the implication.

"Look, I know Foster doesn't like me and I get it. I really do. I tried to change it, you know, make peace, but she's not having it. Maybe it's cause she thinks Lightman and I are still a thing."

"You're not?" Loker responded immediately.

Ria called him out with a warning tone. "Eli!" Looking at Wallowski, she tried to temper Eli's quick response. "I mean it's none of our business…"

"Right." Wallowski looked between the two of them and then sized Ria up. "You're a natural. You tell me if I'm lying. I am not involved with Cal Lightman in any way other than professionally." She waited for Torres to respond.

"You're telling the truth." Wallowski raised her eyebrows and slowly nodded. Ria cocked her head to the side still reading the detective. "Why do you think that's what matters to Foster?"

"Really? I thought you were a natural?" The detective smirked at Torres, who couldn't help but try to hide the smile threatening to rise in the corners of her own mouth. Loker laughed outright.

"They are tight, but we haven't seen any signs of them together." Ria shrugged and looked at Loker.

Loker took up the mantle, "I mean the whole office has a pool on when they'll…"

Before he could continue, Ria cut him off. "We really shouldn't be talking about this. Just cause Lightman's not here doesn't mean he isn't watching." She gestured with a nod toward the security cameras.

"Knowing Cal if he isn't watching now he will at some point." Wallowski looked up at the cameras and then her forehead crinkled as she thought of something. "He did head out of here pretty fast to hunt down Foster. If they haven't done anything yet that seems kind of like overkill."

"Well, for Lightman all bets are off when it comes to Foster." Eli offered. "He did seem pretty upset though that she left her laptop and phone here."

"What?" Ria asked eyes widening. "You didn't tell me that." She glared at Eli.

"What, you came in asking about the feeds and I didn't get a chance." Eli defended himself. "So, yeah, Foster caught me on my way up with my research. She asked me to bring up a few files and told me she had a family emergency. What she didn't tell me was that she had put her phone and laptop in the box with my files. When Lightman figured that out he lost it."

"That's not like Foster." Ria looked troubled. Eli shrugged not knowing how to respond. "Why would she do that?"

"I may have had something to do with that." Wallowski hesitantly offered. Ria glared back at her and she flinched back. Eli just looked at her stunned. "I came to see Cal about this case, and his daughter arrived for some special lunch. Cal insisted I tag along despite her protests. Turns out she had planned it for him and Foster. Emily thinks she spotted me in her seat and split."

Ria bit her lip and exchanged looks with Loker. They were all thinking the same thing. Loker just voiced it first. "Maybe it's time to cash in that pool."

"Did you see anything on Foster's face to suggest that?" Ria asked him. He shook his head no.

"Well maybe Foster's better at hiding it than you think." Wallowski suggested. She had seen the woman hold it together even under the worst of circumstances. In her experience, bad liars were seldom that composed. Based on their responses, she thought perhaps Ria and Eli weren't giving Gillian enough credit.

"Foster's terrible at lying." Ria said incredulously. Eli nodded in agreement.

Wallowski laughed. "I don't know about that. I think that may be her cover."

"What do you mean?" Ria's confusion was evident. Eli rolled his eyes in Ria's direction as if he didn't take the detective seriously.

"I think Foster is much better at hiding things than she lets on. She uses the belief that she is a bad liar to her advantage. Hell, she might even be better at lying than Cal." She paused for effect gauging their reaction, "Depending on the lie that is."

* * *

Alec had found the invitation on the kitchen table and held it up by the corner asking her what it was. She remembered laughing at his disdain for the glitter and naked mole rat. "Emily's having a birthday party this Saturday."

His response hadn't been quite what she expected. "Oh good, you'll have something to keep you entertained then. We've got a diplomacy meeting this weekend in Pittsburgh." She helped him pack Thursday evening and sent him off with a kiss Friday morning. After finishing up with Cal that Friday, she had gone shopping for Emily's present and come home with the summer dress and bracelet.

The day of the party, she let her hair fall naturally into curls and slipped on the dress and sandals. She brought a white cardigan in case it got cold. She remembered arriving at the house and before she could knock the door had swung open. "I'll just pop down to the store, grab the ice cream and be back before she knows I'm gone." Cal was calling to someone inside and not paying attention to what was in front of him. She heard a muffled response before stumbling backwards as Cal turned around and began barreling toward her. His arms caught her around the waist before she tumbled. He was very much in her personal space.

"Alo luv, you look…," He stopped as he took in her outfit. His eyes slowly trailing first down her body and then back up again. They lingered on her hair and he paused before ending his sentence. Her mouth went dry and her stomach did something funny. "Lovely."

She composed herself and tried to back up but found she couldn't as his hands were still around her waist. "Thank you," was all she could manage in response.

Cal gestured over his shoulder with his head. "I've got to pop down to the store 'cause apparently we can't have a birthday party without ice cream. Must be some kind of American rule." He joked smirking at her.

Gillian looked away, back at her car, "I'll take you."

"Nah that's alright luv, I'll just get my car… which is currently blocked by all these cars…" As he looked at the guests' cars blocking him in, he unconsciously pulled her closer.

"I'm happy to take you Cal." She placed her hand on his chest right over his heart. She told herself it was to stop him pulling her any closer, but her hand rested on him gently and didn't push him away. His heartbeat pulsed under her hand.

Whatever her reasons, it did the trick. Cal looked down at her hand and registered that he had his arms around her. He stepped back and bobbed a bit back and forth reminding her of Emily. "You sure luv? I mean there's a plethora of screaming kids inside you could be spending more time with."

Gillian smiled and withdrew her hand. It tingled a bit so she grabbed it with her other hand. "It's not a problem Cal." Turning she strode toward the car, unlocking it so he could get in. The ride to the store was… interesting. She could feel his eyes on her but when she would turn to look at him he'd be staring out the window. It made a flush run down her arms and up her neck. Luckily there was a convenient store just down the street as he pointed out to her. She pulled in as directed and parked in front.

"I'll just pop in, grab the ice cream and be back before you finish that thought." Without waiting for an acknowledgement he hopped out of the car.

Her forehead creased in confusion. What thought was he referring to? She flipped her visor mirror down to examine her face but couldn't get anything. Sighing she resigned herself to wait until he returned. She ran her hand up her arm rubbing at the goose bumps that had popped up. Looking down at her dress, she bit her lip. Perhaps she shouldn't have worn something like this…

"Stop that." She jumped as Cal's opened the door and threw himself inside. "You look lovely. None of that." He shook his finger at her face. She pulled back appalled that he was reading her so well and frustrated that she didn't know the science enough to stop him.

"It's perfectly normal to reflect on one's choices Cal. Most adults, even confident ones, have moments where they are unsure of a choice they have made…" Gillian began to fall back into her comfort zone.

"Nah luv none of that psych crap today. Save it for your patients." He smirked at her and she raised an eyebrow back. "We're partners now ain't we luv?" He grinned at her.

She laughed in response. She wasn't sure how he managed to so easily change the direction of their conversation. "Yes, we are." She found a parking spot on his street. "Emily's got quite a turn out."

"Indeed. Whole backyard's full. Driving me bonkers." She raised her eyebrows at him and he shrugged back. "But she's happy so it's worth it and all." She smiled at his begrudging acknowledgment of his love for his daughter. "Shall we?" He gestured toward the house and she nodded. Unsnapping her belt, she exited the car, locking it after he closed his door.

The volume of noise that greeted them when they entered the house signaled a large amount of rambunctious children. Cal popped the ice cream in the freezer on their way out to the back yard. She followed him outside and took stock of the chaos in front of her. Dozens of 9 year olds were running around a make shift obstacle course firing nerf guns at each other. Most were dressed in dark shirts and khakis with a few of the girls in cheer leader outfits. Those that weren't shooting at each other were aiming for targets placed around the back yard.

"Fancy a drink luv?" Cal leaned in and whispered in her ear, otherwise he'd have had to shout to get her attention. She nodded and he disappeared through the mass of screaming kids and various groups of adults congregating to the edges. She jumped again when a bouncing figure popped up in front of her and gave her a huge hug around the middle.

"Emily!" She exclaimed, hugging her back. A freckled nosed boy and a dark haired girl with glasses stood behind Emily, both eyeing Gillian suspiciously. "Happy Birthday. This is quite an event!"

Emily beamed up at her. "Right? I mean my dad totally set this up for us. It's like spy central!" Once again the young girl was hopping up on her toes. Gillian smiled at the similarity with her father.

"Emily… What's the sitch?" The girl with the glasses asked pulling on Emily's shirt with one hand while pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose with the other.

"This is Gillian, remember I told you about her. She works with my dad." Emily said proudly.

"Your dad's cool." The freckled boy stated with a smile, before frowning and clarifying the point, "and kinda scary."

"Who's scary?" Cal's voice boomed behind them causing all three kids to jump. Emily turned around and punched his arm laughing at the same time. The boy forced a laugh as if he had expected Cal to be behind him.

The girl with the glasses was having none of it. She pulled on the boy's shirt sleeve. "Let's go get some popcorn." He nodded obviously glad to leave scary Cal and his partner lady. Both looked at Emily to see if she'd follow.

"I'll meet you over there in a second." Emily watched them go then turned to Gillian. "I'm really glad you came!"

"So am I. Thank you again for inviting me. Here." Gillian handed Emily her present. Emily's eyes grew wide at the purple paper. She pulled the flower out and tried to push it into one of her pigtails. Gillian, seeing her frustration, helped her slide it under the rubber band. Emily smiled in thanks, then looked back at the package, and over towards the house. Gillian followed her line of vision and saw a table of gifts. "Wow, you've got a mountain over there."

She expected Emily to respond with a smile, but instead Emily bit the side of her lip and looked back at the package.

"What is it sweetheart?" Sensing the change in Emily's emotional state, she squatted down to Emily's eye level.

"It's nothing, just…" Emily looked up at Gillian and then over to her father who holding their beers and looking at her inquisitively. "Well mom said I should have all the guests put gifts on the table over there and I can open them after everyone goes home." Gillian watched Emily's face trying to figure out why she looked so upset. "And, well, I don't want to put your gift over there. I want to open it now." Emily scuffed the front of her shoe on the dirt. Gillian frowned. She respected Emily wanting to follow her mother's wishes, but felt sorry that she had given her the gift without knowing.

"You want to do what your mom asked of you?" While it came out as a question, it was more of a clarification of Emily's feelings.

"Yeah." She said remorsefully.

"Well 'ang on luv." Cal interrupted, squatting down next to Gillian in front of his daughter. "If I remember correctly, your mum said to put all the guests' gifts over there right?" Emily nodded, but something on her face perked up at her father's tone. Gillian heard it too; Cal was up to something.

"But this morning you were allowed to open my gift, right?" Again Emily nodded, scrunching up her eyebrows not sure of where her father was going with his line of questioning. Gillian was confused as well. "And your mum's too right? You opened her gift."

"Yeah?" Emily questioned her father.

"Well why you think that is luv? What's different about our gifts?" Cal was leading his daughter somewhere with this, but Gillian still wasn't sure where it was going.

"Well, you're my dad and she's my mom." Emily looked at her father and he nodded raising his eyebrows encouragingly. "So you're not guests. It's different… 'cause you're … family." Again Cal nodded shifting his eyes toward Gillian and back quickly a few times as if indicating her to his daughter. Finally getting the picture, the light bulb moment shone on her face. Her smile grew huge on her face. "And Gillian's not a guest either! She's your partner now, so she's family!" Emily bounced up and down again and lunged forward hugging her dad with one arm and Gillian with the other. Pulling out of the hug, she dropped to the ground and began ripping off the paper. "So I can open your gift right now!"

Gillian was taken back by the gesture, not just from Emily, but from Cal. She looked over at him with a smile that lit up her face and definitely reached her eyes. He smiled back quickly then made an eye rolling gesture toward Emily as if to say "kids, what can you do?" She knew better. He was trying to hide from the fact that he could read how much his gesture meant to her. She had shared with him some of her own family drama and he was aware that she had little to no contact with her biological family. By including her in his own family, he had touched her heart.

"OH MY GOD! I LOVE IT!" Again Gillian was almost knocked over when Emily threw herself at her in a bear hug. "It's real isn't it? Like Really real! Wow. It's so beautiful." Emily held up the bracelet as she drew back. "Can you put it on? Can I wear it right now?" She directed the question at Gillian, who looked over at Cal.

"As long as it's ok with your dad."

"Course luv. It's your birthday."

Emily squealed in delight. Gillian took the bracelet and secured it to the young girl's wrist. "I've got to show Molly, she's going to die!" They heard Emily squealing all the way to the popcorn table.

Moving the beers into one hand, Cal extended his other hand to help Gillian stand back up. "Think you made her day luv."

"Doubtful Cal, I think you're spy world has to take the cake." She gestured to the kids still shooting each other in the yard.

He shrugged. "Guess that's one benefit of working for the Pentagon." They both laughed. He handed over a beer. It amazed him that she would just drink it out of the bottle. Seemed like someone as classy as Gillian shouldn't be able to pull off drinking straight out of a beer bottle, but she managed it.

She looked at him appreciatively. "Thank you Cal."

"What, it's just a beer." He gestured down toward his hand, even though by reading her face he knew full well what she was actually thanking him for.

"It's very kind of you to welcome me into your family." She smiled and touched his shoulder. "It means a lot to me."

"Yeah, well, I meant it luv, and Emily did too." He smirked back before looking down at the ground. They both heard Zoe call his name and turned to look for her. She was carrying a cake box out of the house. "Ah, duty calls." He started walking toward the door, but when he realized she wasn't following him, he turned back around and waved her forward. "Come on Foster. Hurry it up. You can't shirk family responsibility already." He smirked at her and she laughed tagging along behind him.

A single tear ran down Gillian's cheek at the memory. For so long, Cal and Emily had been her family. She loved them. Emily with her inquisitive eyes and her bouncy self. Cal with his gruff and loud demeanor hiding his own frailty and need for compassion.

She wiped the tear off her face and ripped the tag off her dress. Sliding it over her head, she ran her hands down the material once feeling it's softness. Maybe stepping back into a dress like this would bring back the feelings that memory had. That feeling of being loved and of belonging.

Slipping back into the bathroom she finished getting dressed, brushed her hair, and applied a little makeup and deodorant. Taking a deep breath, she stepped back and looked at herself in the full length mirror. Her hair hung natural to her shoulders, waving slightly as it air dried. Her eyes were still a little puffy, but the red in her cheeks made her look younger almost. The dress… it fell so softly and gently. It made her feel feminine and young and … happy. She actually felt a little happier. Laughing she twirled as she would have done when she was a little girl. Glimpsing a flash of that little girl in the mirror, she hugged herself.

"Well, I'm finally here. I kept my promise." She smiled. In her mind, her younger self looked back at her from the mirror smiling. "Took you long enough!" Her little self retorted.

Smiling, she realized that while she may not have anyone else, she still had herself, and that would have to be enough. Maybe having nothing else would actually make this beginning easier. They say the best foundation is rock bottom.

It had indeed taken her long enough to get back to herself. And what better way to begin than with a trip to Disney World.

Looking in the mirror, she met her own eyes, "Happy Birthday Gillian."


	3. Breakthrough

The Most Magical Place on Earth – Chapter 3: Breakthrough

* * *

Thank you to everyone who has read the story so far. Hope you are enjoying it.

Special thanks to those of you who took the time to review. Your words mean a lot to me. As this story has unfolded, your kindness has helped me continue the momentum towards the finish line. Writing is very new to me so your encouragement and constructive critique has been invaluable.

Please continue to leave feedback. I am listening.

* * *

The poem in this chapter is by Patrick Kavanagh.

I do not own Lie to Me, the characters, dialogue, or events in the episodes.

* * *

By the time the bus pulled into the resort, Cal's nerves were shot, and his romance driven daughter wasn't helping. Stepping off the bus, he looked up at the huge car port and let out yet another, "Bloody hell." How on earth was he going to find Gillian?

The light giggle to his right was the only response his daughter gave him as she stepped off the bus. Turning in her direction he saw that their suitcases had already been unloaded and were sitting on the curb. He handed the driver a tip before grabbing his bag, taking a deep breath, and leading Emily into the hotel.

A uniformed man gestured toward the door with an open palm. Upon entering another staff person, with the same open palm gesture, indicated the queue they were meant to enter. Then another did the same thing. Each time, his eyes scanned from their faces down to the open palms and then back up again, looking for signs of some kind of conspiracy. The last one was the final straw. "Where is it I'm supposed to go now?" He got into the young man's face. He simply smiled and stepped back, still holding his open palm toward the line. "Why not just point at it?"

Grabbing her father before he could really get into it with the gentleman, she pulled him toward the queue. She gave him a look telling him to chill out. He got into line with his daughter, but his expression told her the matter was not closed. She watched as he continued to read the faces around him. And there were a lot of faces. "Why are these people so bloody happy Emily? Is this some kind of childhood cult?"

Emily rolled her eyes at him. "They're on vacation dad at the happiest place on earth. What did you think, they'd be acting like they were attending a funeral?" She gave him a look like he was totally bonkers. Which, in a way, was true but not the point.

"Not just the guests Em, I mean look at the staff, they're bloody giddy." He gestured around suspiciously.

"Chill dad, they get paid to be jovial." Emily looked around and realized they were being called over. "That's us." She wheeled her suitcase up to the woman with her Dad trailing behind. "Hi, I'm Emily Lightman and this is Dr. Cal Lightman. We are here because his partner, who he is secretly in love with, and has been for years, well she just left D.C. and came here because of a big misunderstanding and my Dad has to find her to declare his love for her but she doesn't know it…"

"Oy! Emily. Just tell her we need a room luv. She doesn't need to know my bloody life story." Cal eyed his daughter like she lost her mind.

"Oh! Tres romantique. Dr. Lightman and Mademoiselle Emily, I would be happy to assist you with your room. That is so wonderful Dr. Lightman."

Cal looked at her like she was nuts. Eyeing her name tag, he matched the accent with the name. "Genevieve is it? From France then?" He pulled out his wallet and handed her his credit card and identification.

"Wi, Dr. Lightman." Accepting his information, she began to type away at the keys. Her eyebrows knitted together as she searched on her computer screen. "I am sorry sir but I am not finding a reservation."

"Nah, we don't have one." Cal replied reading her face.

"Oh. I'm sorry sir, normally we are booked so far in advance…" She looked at him with both surprise and a little fear.

"You've got to have something. I don't care what kind of room it is. Like my daughter said, I'm here on a fool's errand, to find Gillian Foster and tell her I bloody love her." Genevieve's eye flashed at the name and a hint of smile touched her lips. "What was that?" He pointed at her face. She drew back a little in surprise. "You know Gillian. You've seen Dr. Foster, here, today." Genevieve's surprise flashed each time he confirmed his own statements by reading her face. "She's here then."

Emily intervened watching the poor girl. "Sorry about my dad, Genevieve. He reads people's faces for a living. So does Gillian, er Dr. Foster. They've been partners for like half my life, and in love probably as long, but they haven't done anything about it. My dad's ramped up because he's been in a plane then a bus and he just really needs his Gillian." Genevieve softened at Emily's approach, glancing quickly at Cal before returning to the girl. "I know we don't have a reservation, but this is kind of like the prince using the glass slipper to find Cinderella." Emily kicked her father in the leg before he could choke out an obnoxious response. Keeping her eyes on Genevieve, she continued. "So if there is anything you can do. Seriously. Price is not an issue."

"Price is…" Cal didn't get more than that out before his daughter kicked him again. "Oy! I'm not a bloody football."

"Seriously, Dad? You drop everything, get on a plane, then a bus, come all the way here to worry about the cost of a room?" Emily eyed him crossing her arms in front of her chest.

He sighed defeated. "Right. You're right. Foster's worth it."

"Gillian's worth it." She corrected. "Stop calling her Foster, it's … weird."

"I always call her Foster." Cal chuffed back.

"Yeah but that was before you admitted you love her. Now it's just … odd." Cal had no response to that. They both looked back toward Genevieve who seemed to be waiting for some kind of acknowledgment.

"Yeah, what she said." He gestured toward his daughter. "Whatever you can do to help us."

"Well let me see what I can find…" She trailed off as her fingers ran over the keyboard. She kept sneaking glances at them her mind racing over the things she had heard. "Oh." Her eyes flashed something, and a smirk appeared at the corner of her mouth. Something had triggered that reaction, but he wasn't sure what. "It appears we do have a room available." There was that smirk again. "It's actually a two bedroom suite."

"There something special about that room?" Genevieve's eyes widened slightly in surprise when Cal asked the question. "Ah there is. What is it?"

"Oh, um, it is actually part of a three bedroom set up, but don't worry the adjoining door will be locked on both sides. Now how many nights will you be staying with us?" Genevieve asked quickly, rushing to move past Cal's line of inquiry.

'Well that is interesting,' Cal thought to himself, 'what's so special about this room of ours?' Probably the most expensive room in the hotel, given his luck of late. But Emily was right. He'd pay it if it meant finding Gillian. He'd do whatever was necessary really to find Gillian, including getting more information out of this young lady. "Right. So I know there's guest confidentiality and all that," Cal waved his hand in the air as if it was irrelevant. "And I appreciate you doing your job, right, but we both know you saw Gillian Foster." Although the young woman didn't move or say anything in response the answer was clear on her face. "Thought so. So you oughta know how long she's staying." Again he confirmed it. "Right, so we'll stay as long as she's staying. So whatever that is." He gestured with his hand towards the keyboard.

"So… um…" The poor girl didn't know how to proceed. She couldn't enter a number in without giving away private information. She looked like a deer caught in headlights.

"Alright, not wanting you to divulge anything, let's say three days… five… a week. That's it. We'll stay a week." Then after figuring out the time frame it hit him. "A week?"

Emily giggled. "Sounds perfect. Now how do we handle the theme park tickets, can you help us with that?"

"Oh, wi, yes, I can help you with adding park passes to your reservation."

"Park passes? Emily we are here to talk to Gillian." Cal ran his hand over his face. "Not go run around some bloody theme park."

"Dad, Gillian came here. I'm sure she is going to the theme parks." Both Cal and his daughter looked at Genevieve who became flustered when they gleaned the answer from her even though she didn't say anything. "See, if Gillian's got passes, then we need passes."

"Fine. Genevieve just give us the same thing as Gillian. They're just passes." He added when he saw the doubt flash over her face. He and Emily watched as she worked out the issue in her mind. The girl's protection of Foster's information was admirable. Giving him the amount of time she would stay was different than giving them the same types of passes. Resolving her internal dilemma, luckily in his favor, she continued to type on the computer before pulling out two cards. Laying them down on the table next to her, he noticed they each contained a cartoon character. Pointing at one, he told Genevieve, "Make sure that one's for Emily."

Both women looked at him, but Genevieve did as asked. Truth be told she found him a little frightening. He could tell by Emily's face that she was wary of what he was pulling. After Genevieve ran the cards through her machine, she slid them over to Cal. Handing Emily hers, he smirked. "You know, you are a bit goofy." He wagged his eyebrows at his own joke. Emily groaned. Genevieve couldn't hide a small smile.

"Really dad? How old are you?" Turning back she thanked Genevieve. They continued talking but Cal didn't hear a word of it.

Time stopped. Noise vanished. Everything around him faded when he spotted Gillian walking through the lobby. She was wearing a white sun dress and her hair hung in soft curls around her face. His insides scrunched up. It reminded him of something, another time he had seen her in a sundress… She looked beautiful … but sad. His gut clenched again. She was heading straight toward him. He froze. He had no idea what to do. Should he go to her? Run? Instead he silently stood there his eyes running over her face. A flash of recognition sparked across her features. Their eyes locked for the briefest of moments. Before he could move, their gaze was broken by a luggage cart blocking the view. He stood there staring at the cart, blinking rapidly.

"Dad?" Emily came up beside him and followed his gaze. Not seeing anything she put her hand on his arm. "You ok?"

He looked back at her, then over to where Gillian had been. The cart had rolled away and she was clearly gone. "Gillian, Em, I just saw Gillian." His eyes continued to scan for her.

"Dad?" Emily pulled on his sleeve.

"Now she's gone." he waved his hand in the direction he had been looking, "Again." Turning back the frustration and pain were evident on his face. He didn't even try to hide it, until he saw the concern on his daughter's face. Swallowing, he pulled himself together. "Just missed my chance is all."

Emily frowned. "Dad," she paused trying determine how best to respond. "Maybe, you're looking at this wrong." Cal squinted at his daughter and rolled his jaw. Turning his head, his curiosity got the best of him and he nodded for her to continue.

"Well, normally you would just rush in and get in Gillian's face right?" Emily raised her hand up and then down gesturing at all of Cal.

Cal looked at his daughter trying to figure out where she was going with this. Reluctantly he shrugged, then nodded in agreement. It was his traditional modus operandi after all, thank you very much.

"And you said yourself you're normally the one who runs. But now Gillian's running. So it's kind of all backwards." Cal raised one eyebrow wondering what she was on about.

"So, you didn't miss your chance. Not really. I think," Emily bit her lip in concentration, "instead, maybe you're meant to do something backwards… you know differently too. So, like Gillian runs. Not like her. You follow her here, see her and freeze. Totally not like you."

Cal cringed a little and dropped his gaze down a bit embarrassed. He had frozen. That wasn't something he was used to and wasn't really sure how to handle that. Emily was right. It wasn't like him at all.

For her part, Emily continued right on without noticing her father's embarrassment. She was on a roll. "So you're not meant to get in her face. Not this time. Because this time is different. Don't you see?" She flapped her hands in excitement. "Normally, you and Gillian dance around your feelings and then nothing happens. You make up and go back to being friends. You've been doing it for years. But now the pattern's broken. Right? It's different than before."

She checked her father's face to make sure he was following her. Surprisingly, he was. "So you freezing was actually a good thing. It stopped you from reacting the way you usually would. Which means that now we can come up with a totally different approach for you to take. The opposite of what you've been doing." Emily looked up at him excitedly. "Dad, this is big. It means that this time, things with you and Gillian will end differently. This is it Dad. Every chance before now you've both messed up, but now it's backwards, so this time you're going to make it happen." Her wide eyes settled on his with amazement.

Cal's stomach flipped over and his mouth went as dry as the desert. Slowly he nodded. What she said made sense, in an odd sort of way. He must be daft, he was entrusting his romantic happiness to his teenage daughter.

"So now we know she's here. You've seen her yourself. And we know we have to formulate a plan that is the opposite of what you'd normally do. So, normally you'd run after her, right? Get in her personal space? Yell maybe?" Emily smirked at her father questioningly.

"Well… maybe just a little." He half smiled back at his brilliant daughter. She really did know him even if he was reluctant to admit it. God what would he do if she moved across the country to Berkeley. He'd be so lost without her.

"I'm proud of you Dad. The first step is admitting you have a problem."

'Well maybe not so lost after all, he thought.' Emily's smile grew wider at her little joke. When he gave her the 'really' look in response she laughed.

"Funny, Emily. Ball of laughs. Now if you're done being cheeky? Then tell me, Nancy Drew, what should I do instead of going after Gillian?"

"Well, the opposite, Dad... Let her go." Reading his face, she immediately saw his dislike and obvious discomfort at the idea of letting Gillian go; so she held her hand up appeasing him. "For now."

His jaw clenched. His flight or fight was kicking in hard and every part of him was raring to run in the direction he had last seen Gillian. But his daughter's wide eyed helpful expression pulled him back from the edge. He stretched his neck and then shook himself to get out the excess fight energy. "Right." He affirmed.

Emily turned her head, checking to make sure he actually agreed with her. He nodded to her to proceed. Nodding back she continued, "We know she is staying here and that she will be back. I mean she got theme park tickets. So, you and I, we go to our room. We unpack then grab some food. And we regroup. We come up with a new plan."

Cal nodded, rocking back and forth on his heels. Looking back to where he had spotted Gillian he sighed. "Right. Room then nosh it is." Satisfied he wasn't going to bolt, Emily turned and headed in the direction of the elevators Genevieve had pointed out earlier. With one last glance around for Gillian, Cal reluctantly followed behind.

* * *

The trek back to the lobby didn't feel nearly as long. As she walked, she admired the random pieces of indigenous art on the walls and the light fixtures that resembled small drums. Looking around and confirming she was alone, she drummed her fingers lightly on the fixture and realized it also sounded like a drum. Giggling at her own silliness, she looked around and did it again.

She was beaming by the time she got to the elevators, having played several lamp shades. Riding it to the lower floor, she headed toward the lobby. As she turned toward the door, something pulled at her stomach. She looked up and could have sworn she saw Cal staring transfixed at her before a luggage rack blocked her vision and woke her back to reality. It couldn't have actually been Cal. Just her subconscious reminding her of his absence and the fact that he wouldn't be coming to find her. Shaking her head she picked up her pace and hurried outside, running into one of the valets.

"I'm so sorry, ma'am. You alright?" He caught her by the arms and kept her and himself from falling over.

"No, no… that's my fault. I … I wasn't watching where I was going. I'm very sorry… um, Blake." She spotted his name tag and it registered in the back of his mind that he was from Cary, North Carolina. Explained the accent and the ma'am.

"No bother really. Something I can help you with ma'am?" He asked her smiling good naturedly. She was still shook up from her hallucination but the poor kid didn't need to know that.

"Oh, um, yes… I need to get something to eat and I'd like to do some shopping. Where would you suggest I go?" She managed to ask, while her mind continued to reel. He didn't notice. She forgot sometimes that other people couldn't automatically read her face. It was both comforting and unnerving.

"Oh that's easy ma'am. You're gonna want to head over to Downtown Disney. If you walk down the path right there," He gestured, open palmed, toward a sidewalk leading away from the building, "you'll come to the bus terminals. Look for the bus that says Downtown Disney. It will have two stops. You can get off at either one. There's loads of places to shop and eat there. You might should eat first. The restaurants fill up right quick." He smiled at her again and she noticed it in his eyes; he was genuinely happy to help her. She couldn't help but smile back.

"Thank you Blake. You're quite a gentleman." She touched his upper arm briefly and spotted a blush on his neck as she turned and made her way down the sidewalk.

"You have a magical day ma'am." She heard him call to her and looking over her shoulder she nodded at him. His blush darkened and she couldn't help but feel flattered. He was barely in his twenties. Definite boost to her ego.

Turning toward the path, she concentrated on where she was heading, not wanting to run into anyone else. The path led to several bus stop waiting areas, each labelled with a sign designating their routes. She sat down on a wooden bench at the one marked Downtown Disney. Having a moment to think, she wrung her hands in her lap.

Why had she seen Cal in the lobby? Obviously he wasn't actually there. He couldn't be. She had left her laptop and her phone. There was no way to track her. She sighed. Perhaps that hadn't been the best idea, but she had acted on impulse. Nothing she could do about it now. And anyways, if he had somehow managed to track her, he would be out here right now accosting her with questions of why she had left. It wasn't Cal. It was obviously her mind playing tricks on her.

So what was her subconscious trying to tell her? The look on his face… He had been so still, almost as if he was shocked to see her. And… there was something else in those hazel eyes of his… something she couldn't quite make out. She had caught it on him before, albeit briefly, on and off over the years. Biting her lower lip she focused her mind. What was it exactly? So many times over the course of their relationship she had felt like she was on the verge of identifying it, but then it would slip away. Now was no exception. Apparently even imaginary Cal was hard to read.

"Ugh." Groaning, she dropped her hands on her lap in frustration.

"Is it your shoe laces?" A chipper young voice spoke next to her making her jump. She looked to her side and saw a familiar freckled face with a mop of blond curls. It was the boy who had smiled at her earlier in the day. He was climbing onto the bench next to her.

"I'm sorry?" she asked him confused.

"Your shoe laces?" He asked again leaning over her to inspect her feet. She looked down too. The flip flops she was wearing bore no signs of laces. "Oh, no, you don't have any." He looked back up at her curiously.

"Why did you think I had shoe laces on?" She asked him gently, amazed by his openness with her. Most children weren't quite this approachable with strangers.

"Cause you were frustratered. I get frustratered when I have to tie my shoes." His answer was so reasonable and yet so touching. He knew she was frustrated.

She smiled at him. "I was frustrated. Thank you for noticing."

He grinned back and sat down next to her. Patting her arm, he looked up at her and asked, "Want to talk about it?"

She laughed, then told him, "That's usually my line."

"Are you a spy-kite-at-risk?" Oh, how she wanted to hug this little child. "My Aunt Darcy's one of those. She says I'm em-pathetic. That doesn't mean pathetic. I asked." He shook his head vigorously in the negative when explaining he wasn't pathetic.

Nodding back at him, she just couldn't stop smiling. "I am a psychiatrist; and you are very empathetic. Your aunt is also right that having empathy is very different from being pathetic." He giggled and it took all her power not to cuddle him to her side. "My name's Gillian."

"I'm Robert. It's nice to meet you Gillian." He offered her his little hand and she shook it. Realizing he should have parents nearby she looked around for them. "Aunt Darcy and Uncle Brian are coming. They just take longer cause they have Ava." He explained again as if he had read her. She looked down at him curiously, but before she could ask him about it he responded. "You were wondering where they were. If I behave, then I'm allowed to come down here and sit politely to wait for them."

"How did you know that was what I was wondering?" She asked gently.

"Cause I'm inquisitor too." He patted her hand as if they shared a hardship. She could just eat this little man up. "Plus I'm young so I should have adults with me at all times. You were looking around. So I guessed that was what you were thinking."

"You're very observant Robert. That was a good guess." He beamed at her, then turned quickly to look back up the path.

"Yes Aunt Darcy, I'm behaving." He called out loudly. Gillian's forehead wrinkled; she hadn't heard anything. He turned back and caught her questioning face. "You aren't hard to em-pathetic with. Your face gets all scrunched up." He demonstrated by crinkling his own forehead as much as he could and pursing his lips. Pointing at her face like a little Cal, he confirmed his suspicions, "You're wondering again."

She laughed outright. "I was wondering Robert. Very perceptive. Did you hear your aunt call you just now?"

His little eyes lit up. "What's purse-peck-tiff?" He bounced up and down on his knees indicating his excitement. This little fellow was quite amazing.

"Per- _cep_ -tive means that you notice or see a lot of things and that you can figure out what they mean." She spoke the syllables more slowly so he would better understand the pronunciation.

He nodded frantically at her in agreement. "Yes, yes I do that. I'm purse-ep-tiff." Getting the word a little closer on his second attempt. They both looked up as a couple with a double stroller approached, a little blond haired girl sitting on one side drinking from a sippy cup. Gillian could see almost no resemblance between Robert and the couple, other than they all had blond hair. But Robert's hair was much brighter than their darker blondes and his little face was covered in freckles. The two adults and the little girl all shared dark brown eyes. It made Gillian a little curious about their familial relationship. "Aunt Darcy, Uncle Brian, Ava, this is my new friend Gillian. She's a spy-kite-at-risk like you Aunt Darcy."

Gillian stood and held out her hand to Robert's parents smiling openly at them. "Hi, Gillian Foster." Identifying herself, she shook their hands in turn.

"Brian Bennet. This is my wife, Darcy and our daughter Ava." The man introduced himself and placed a hand on his wife's back.

"I hope Robert has been behaving and hasn't talked your ear off." The woman apologized in advance while trying to size up Gillian. As she should, Gillian thought.

"Robert has been a perfect gentleman." She smiled down at him and he beamed up at her.

"Gillian Foster… That name sounds familiar." The woman continued, looking at her curiously. "Robert said you're a psychiatrist. Where do you practice?"

"Actually, I am a partner with the Lightman Group out of D.C. We specialize in micro-expressions." Gillian simplified things as she really didn't want to talk about Cal or their work. Just thinking about him was painful, not that she let them see any of that.

"Lightman group… Oh!" Realization rang out on the woman's face and in her voice. Her eyes showed first surprise, then pride at her memory, and then curiosity and fascination. Here it comes, thought Gillian as her stomach tightened. Unexpectedly, she felt a small hand in hers and looked down. Robert's big hazel eyes reflected sympathy back at her and he squeezed her hand. Her heart warmed at his touch but her eyebrows knitted together in confusion by his response to her. Before she could ask him about it, Darcy continued. "You're the deception experts."

"Deception experts?" Her husband asked curiously.

"Yes, they read micro-expressions on people's faces and can tell if they are lying. Isn't that right?" Gillian smiled politely and nodded.

"What does that mean?" Robert asked her tugging her hand towards him. She allowed him to pull her back down onto the seat.

"Well it means that my team can look at someone's face and know if they are telling the truth or not." She could see the motors in his brain firing as he digested that bit of news.

"Like when you wrinkle your forehead I know you're wondering?" The tail end of his sentence rose up a notch with his excitement.

"Exactly Robert. You really are per-cep-tive." She smiled encouragingly. He beamed back.

"I like my new friend Gillian." Robert said, completely melting Gillian's heart. Letting go of her hand, he began jumping up and down. "The bus, the bus, the bus is here."

The adults looked up but didn't see anything. Robert was still hopping up and down in excitement. His father started to say something but was interrupted by the sounds of an approaching bus. Sure enough when they looked back up it was the bus to Downtown Disney. "How'd you see that Robert?" he asked.

"It's cause I'm per-sep-tiff." He said proudly. The three adults smiled at each other.

When the bus stopped, Gillian let them get on ahead of her. When she climbed the stairs, she noticed the husband and wife were seated on one side of the bus with Ava on Brian's lap. Robert sat at the window across the aisle. "Gillian, sit by me."

"Robert…" his aunt's voice held a warning tone.

"I'm sorry. Gillian would you please sit by me?" He asked sweetly. Gillian looked at Darcy, who frowned slightly but nodded her agreement. Gillian smiled at her reassuringly, which seemed to help alleviate the woman's concerns.

"Certainly, I'd be delighted." Gillian sat down next to the boy who began to tell her all about Downtown Disney. Apparently the family had been there a few times already. She laughed and nodded at appropriate times while he rambled on. The drive was far too short in her opinion.

"…and there's a dragon that shoots water out at people. Which is awesome. Especially if it's hot outside. Oh, we're here Gillian! We're here!" Once again he was hopping with excitement.

When the bus stopped to unload them, she stepped back in the aisle to allow Robert's family to help him off the bus. Looking at Gillian, Darcy tentatively asked, "I hope he wasn't too much…"

Resting her hand gently and briefly on the woman's shoulder, Gillian smiled in response. "You have a lovely family. Thank you for sharing Robert with me. He's delightful and totally made my day." The woman smiled back in relief. Her husband nodded to Gillian as he and Ava descended the stairs. Gillian followed behind giving them some space.

"Bye Gillian see you later!" Robert waved fiercely at her before walking off with his family. Waving back Gillian felt another little pull. She missed him already.

* * *

"So tell us more about your suspects." Ria sat across the table from Sharon Wallowski watching as the detective picked through her file.

"The Shehu triplets are 25 years old and Albanian. They recently relocated from New York to D.C. and are sharing an apartment in Dupont Circle." Sharon handed them over some of the sheets of information she had collected.

Eli rolled his eyes at that point not bothering to hide his disgust. "Twenty somethings with daddy's money."

"All accounts point to them earning their own income. They work for a pretty prestigious lobbying firm on the hill. Agron Shehu is the oldest brother. According to his employer he is being groomed to be the next CEO of the firm." Wallowski laid down a photograph of a young man in a suit and tie, immaculately attired with a nonplussed expression on his face.

Laying down a second picture to the right of the first, Loker and Torrez compared the brothers. The faces were identical. The only difference was that the hair on the brother in the second photograph was slightly shorter as if it had been recently trimmed. The facial expressions were exactly the same. "This is Faton Shehu. Second born. He is the financial genius of the bunch. He manages the firm's books. Apparently, he is set to take over as CFO when Agron becomes CEO."

"Nothing like a little nepotism." Eli muttered under his breath.

"Lastly, this is Veton Shehu, the youngest of the triplets." This picture bore the most difference as Veton's muscular structure was far more honed. While physically he looked far more formidable than his brothers, his face too remained passive and unemotional. "Despite numerous inquiries, we were not able to ascertain exactly what it is that Veton does for the firm. Other than that he is an 'asset.'" Wallowski's statement was seeped in sarcasm.

"He looks like a body guard." Ria commented on his physique. "Is this your prime suspect?"

"No, while he looks the part, he has a rotary cuff tear that has put him out of commission for over a week. We confirmed it with the gym he goes to; they said he was doing a series of upright rows against the recommendation of the trainers there. I think they were worried about a lawsuit. With that injury it is far less likely that he could have committed the crime." Pointing at the photograph of the second brother, Wallowski continued. "Veton was out of the state the day of the murders on firm business which we also confirmed. He returned on a late flight and took a car to his apartment. Again all confirmed. But the time of the murders is not firmly established. While the window makes it highly improbable that he did it, it doesn't entirely rule him out. The only one without an alibi is Agron, but he claims he was at work and then home with his brothers. Of course they confirm his story."

"And you're sure it was one of them?" Eli asked tilting his head to the side questioningly.

"We have an eye witness who identified the face as one of the brothers. We also have DNA evidence at the crime scene, but the quantity is limited and with identical triplets..."

"You won't be able to differentiate their DNA." Eli finished for her.

Nodding Wallowski continued. "We also have reason to suspect that the brothers may have ties with the Albanian Boys."

"The Albanian mafia?" Loker asked incredulously sitting forward.

"Yes. We're not certain that these murders are the work of the mafia, but it hasn't been ruled out." Wallowski watched as Eli and Ria exchanged worried glances.

"This seems like Lightman's 'cup of tea,' for lack of a better analogy. Why would he leave it to us?" Eli looked at Torrez, the worry evident on his face. He left unsaid the question on both of their minds: 'did they really want to take on the Albanian mafia?'

"Guess he thinks we're ready." Ria frowned in thought, then stood a little straighter in her seat making up her mind. She was tired of running away from bullies.

"Look, I know this might be… overwhelming. But one of these three men, gutted our informant and he did it in the alley behind our precinct. We've had this guy on the inside for years. He gets jacked in my back yard? I don't think so! Cracking these brothers is the key to finding out why. Something stinks about this and I need you two to help me figure out which of these brothers is the killer."

* * *

Emily had thought he was fidgety on the plane, now he was acting like a toddler on a sugar high. "Did you, like, drink a six pack of red bull while I wasn't looking?" She asked her father eyeing him like he was nuts.

"It definitely feels that way luv." He replied walking past her again. The adrenaline still coursing through his veins from not rushing after Foster. Would have thought that would have dissipated by now. He shrugged his shoulders and rolled his neck. "Right, let's have it, shall we?"

Managing to look away from him before rolling her eyes, she picked up the paper she had been using to take notes. "Alright, so you and Gillian created this weird invisible line, which you've never crossed, for some crazy reason." She looked up at her father like he was ridiculous. He raised his hand in an attempt to respond, but she beat him to it. "Well, you attempted to cross it, but never actually managed it." She eyed him again. "Better?"

He pursed his lips and cocked an eyebrow at her, "it'll do."

She didn't hide her smirk. "And to get Gillian's attention you've tried … Let's see. Innuendo," she raised her eyebrows at that one, "getting in her face, yelling, reading her, running away, sleeping with other women to make her jealous…" Looking up she eyed her father with disgust.

"Oy, you put that one in there so don't give me that look," he shot back.

"Fine… you've almost got yourself killed, several times … ended up in the hospital… several times… and the last time she was there you pushed her away… pushing her away should be one actually." Emily began to write on the paper again.

"Think we have enough already Em, thank you very much." Cal flopped down next to her causing the bed to bounce.

"Dad, this is important. The more we can rule out what didn't work, the easier it will be to figure out what will. Help us plan a new approach. Process of elimination." She pointed at him with her pencil then bit the eraser as she looked back down at the paper. "Ok, so pushing her away, you stalked her boyfriends, got one of them relocated… good job there dad." He wasn't sure if that was meant to be sarcastic or an actual compliment as he was unable to see her face. Nerves kicking in again, he stood and walked across the room. She shook her head as she watched him, then noticed that the paper he had been writing on earlier was now on the bed. Checking to make sure he wasn't watching, she picked it up and began reading. "You got her stalked by a… stalked by a serial rapist? Attacked by a group of teen-aged thieves? Dad!"

Cal's brain was still on Gillian that it took him a moment to realize that he no longer had the paper in his hands. Racing back over, he tried to pull it out of her fingers. "Oy, give it here Em. You weren't meant to see that."

"Obviously." She struggled with her father trying to keep hold of the paper but he managed to rip it out of her fingers. "If there are worse things on that page, I can't imagine we would pick them anyway." She huffed, hugging her arms around her chest. Looking at him angrily she asked, "How could you let those things happen to Gillian?"

"It wasn't on purpose Em!" Cal dropped down next to her and crunched the paper and stuck it deep into his pocket so she wouldn't try to grab it again. Looking at her face he saw not only the anger but also fear. "Our work is not always the safest, Em. Sometimes we've had to work with… to deal with… I mean there was just this…" He ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "Look, I hated it Em, putting her in danger. And if I could have prevented it, believe me I'd have done anything to stop it from happening." He rested his hand gently on her back, rubbing softly up and down. "Foster's tough, luv, way tougher than maybe we give her credit for."

"Obviously. I mean she survived all that." Emily looked up at him and ground her teeth. "Just… just promise me you won't let that happen again, ok? I mean I'm leaving soon dad. I can't have you two acting like this while I'm in another state. Gillian's supposed to be the sensible one. She's supposed to stop you from being crazy. How can I trust that she'll take care of you while I'm gone if she's as crazy as you are?" Emily stood up throwing her hands up in frustration. The pair of them would drive her insane.

"Em, I know I've done some … daft things luv…" Cal tried to formulate an explanation.

"Daft doesn't begin to cut it dad. You got yourself committed not once, but twice!" She held up two fingers in front of his face to emphasize her point. "You spoke to your dead mum while high on LSD. Almost died in Afghanistan. I mean who does that, who voluntarily goes to Afghanistan when they aren't in the military? You're not a soldier!" She threw her hands up again gesturing at him like she wanted to shake him. "You came close to dying in a car crash, almost get shot by a lunatic in your office, and get water boarded by a serial killer?"

"Hang on, how do you know about the water boarding?" Cal's forehead crinkled as he questioned her. She shouldn't have known about that. Did Zoe tell her? He felt his own anger starting to surface.

"You couldn't shower for weeks, dad. Besides it was on the local news." Emily flopped back down next to him on the bed eyeing him seriously. "You're not the only one who worries. Someone has to keep track of your… self-destructive tendencies."

Cal frowned back at her. "I can take care of myself Em."

"No dad, actually, you can't. You're terrible at it. Do I need to go back through the list of insane moments where Cal Lightman almost died?" Emily eyed her father up stubbornly.

"I've survived so far darling. You're father's pretty resilient." He tried to appease her but she wasn't having it.

"No dad, you've just been unbelievably lucky." Emily frowned at him. "And by unbelievably lucky, I include the fact that you have me and Gillian. We're probably the biggest reason you're still breathing. But if she's in these crazy scenarios with you, then who will protect you if I'm not here? How am I supposed to focus on my exams and classes if I'm constantly worried you're going to get shot, or blown up, or some other crazy thing?" Her eyes held his and he realized that all the risks he had been taking had impacted her far more than he realized.

"I'm sorry luv." He dropped his gaze from her eyes to his own hands which were fidgeting in his lap. He knew what it was like to worry about a parent and feel like you had no control over their actions. The last thing he wanted was for Emily to carry that burden.

"Dad, I'm sorry too, but that's not enough. I need you to promise me that you'll be more careful and more conscious of the risks you take." She grabbed his hands in hers causing him to look up at her. "And I need you to mean it! Promise me you'll be around for my graduation and wedding and the rest of my future. I need you Dad."

He nodded. "I need you too Em and I hear you. And for what it's worth luv… I am sorry. You shouldn't have to worry about me like that… and I promise I'm not going anywhere darling. Definitely plan to dance with you at your wedding." Pulling her into a tight hug he kissed the top of her head. They sat like that for a few minutes before she pulled back and smiled at him.

"Thanks." Emily pulled on his shirt for emphasis.

"But you do realize you're not getting married for like… another 16 years right?" Cal teased.

She smacked him playfully. "Whatever." He hugged her again kissing her on the forehead this time. She pushed her father off and picked up her list again. "Well if we get on with this maybe I'll be dancing with you at your wedding. Aye aye." She said the last bit while wagging her eyebrows playfully.

"Cheeky git." He chuckled to cover the emotions raging inside at her suggestion that he and Foster might marry. Reading her face, he saw that the idea delighted her. He smiled at his daughter. "How'd I get so lucky?"

"It must be past life karma, because I'm fairly certain, based on both of our lists that you definitely don't deserve me in this lifetime!"

"Oy!"

* * *

Gillian sat at the bar in an Irish restaurant called Raglan Road. Having opted for shepherd's pie, she was not disappointed. It reminded her of Emily though and that brought up a growing concern. She never told Emily why she hadn't shown up at the luncheon and hadn't contacted her since. The thought made her stomach turn over. Biting her lip, she weighed her options. She could try to call or text Emily, but then Cal might get it out of his daughter, and she didn't want to put Emily in that position. But she hated not contacting Emily to apologize. It wasn't her fault all this had happened. Sighing, Gillian rested her head in her hand. It really felt like a catch 22.

"Would you like any desert? The bread pudding is lovely and our most popular option." The waitress asked in an Irish brogue as she attempted to hand Gillian a menu.

Gillian waved her off agreeing to whatever it was the woman had suggested, her mind on other things. "Sure, sure, that would be fine."

When the desert arrived shortly after, she looked at it with surprise. "You did say the bread pudding?" Gillian could read the masked disdain on the woman's face and in her tone.

"Yes, of course. Thank you." She really didn't care that much either way.

Looking down at the desert she noticed that the bread pudding itself was in a coffee mug, and on the side were three tiny pitchers. One filled with melted chocolate, another with some kind of sweet cream, and a third with warm caramel. Popping her spoon into the pudding she made a hole in the middle by removing a piece of the bread. She drizzled a bit of each of the liquid confections into the opening, then tried a bite. The different flavors, textures and temperatures were like sensory overload for her taste buds. To say it was delicious would be doing it a disservice. It was fabulous, utterly sinful. She actually moaned. Losing herself in the desert, it was several minutes before she even noticed someone watching her.

Glancing up she spotted kindly green eyes smiling in her direction. The man looked to be in his early sixties sporting round glasses with a tweed cap on his brow. "Tis lovely." He nodded at her mostly devoured bread pudding. She nodded her agreement, unable to voice a response as her mouth was still full. He laughed jovially at her wide eyed expression. "We have tested and tasted too much, lover. Through a chink too wide there comes in no wonder." He recited the words to her reverently.

Swallowing her mouthful and taking a quick sip of water to wash it down. She smiled at him and questioned him with both her eyes and her words. "I'm sorry?"

"Tis a line from the poem titled Advent. Thought it fitting. The poet, you see, is discussing the loss of our childlike wonder." She nodded at him to continue still not entirely sure why he had raised it. "Seeing your enjoyment, however, it is clear you have not lost yours." He smiled at her and again it met his eyes. They had a teasing twinkle in them as well.

"Well it was quite lovely." She acknowledged feeling a slight blush on her cheeks. He laughed again.

"So you've not tasted too much of the world then." He tilted his head studying her. "Have you tested too much of it?"

"I'm not sure I know what you mean." Gillian responded unsure why this man was engaging her in this manner. It was quite confusing. Leaning toward him showing her interest, she tilted her head to the side. "Would you mind repeating the line?"

Nodding, he recited the line again. "We have tested and tasted too much, lover. Through a chink too wide there comes in no wonder."

Swallowing, she thought about the meaning. He had said the poem was titled Advent. The Catholic tradition of Advent was a time of fasting. Given that, the poem might be suggesting that through fasting, one would reclaim that childlike view of the world. Tasting, in that context, made sense as literally it could be about tasting the food they abstained from. It could also be interpreted more broadly to be about tasting the other luxuries of life. The testing reference seemed a bit more obtuse. She could think of several possible meanings. It could be about testing the limits of the human soul, or testing God's favor by either sinning or being exposed to sin.

But his question had been directed to her. Had she tested too much? And for her, when she thought of the line: 'We have tested too much lover,' she thought of Cal. The man was always testing everything, especially limits. But even more so, she thought of them, of their relationship. The years of going back and forth, of straddling the line, of unsaid words and hidden truths. They had tested their relationship far too much and now it had broken apart, come crashing down. 'Through a chink too wide…' was putting it mildly. It was a huge gaping hole in her chest. Swallowing she looked down at her hands before whispering a response to his question. "I think I have tested too much."

There was a pause before he responded, and she realized based on his tone and inflection that he was reciting more of the poem. She listened intently. "But here in the Advent-darkened room, where the dry black bread and the sugarless tea of penance will charm back the luxury of a child's soul, we'll return to Doom the knowledge we stole but could not use."

His words sat in her gut as she tried to digest them. She was there, in that place. Not quite the Advent-darkened room, but a dark point in her life nonetheless. A dark, turning point. 'Where…penance will charm back the luxury of a child's soul…' resonated in her heart. It felt like she was making her penance here and now. Returning to a place that symbolized the very moment in her life where she had stopped believing she deserved to be loved. Where her faith in those, that she should have been able to trust most, had been shattered. Coming here after yet again being replaced by her family. As a child, her father had chosen alcohol over her and her mother had chosen him. Alec had chosen drugs and other women. Now Cal had chosen Sharon Wallowski. It had become an unwanted pattern in her life.

'We'll return to Doom the knowledge we stole but could not use.' We will return. Not I will return. Did that mean her and Cal? Was that why she had seen him before? Or did it refer to her younger self and herself today? She wasn't entirely sure.

'The knowledge we stole but could not use.' Was that her belief that she was unworthy of being loved? It wasn't true, but she had believed it. And by believing it, she had perpetuated relationships that showed her the truth of that belief. With Alec and Dave and now Cal. She believed herself to be unlovable and so brought men into her life who acted in accordance with that belief. By denying herself the chance to experience love, by deeming herself unworthy, she had set herself up for failure. The failure had confirmed her belief that she was unlovable. So the cycle had continued.

But she revisited that memory with fresh eyes. Her years of psychological training finally made their appearance. She saw the fallacy of that childhood belief: she was not unlovable. It had not been her fault. Her parents had been ill equipped to deal with their own issues. Their inability to support her, to encourage her, to love her, actually had nothing to do with her. She could not have changed a thing. No matter how hard she smiled or pretended that everything was fine. It would never have made a difference.

And in that way the poem was correct. She hadn't used the knowledge she stole. Instead she had allowed the fallacy to abuse her, to keep her in a pattern of attracting the wrong partner. One who would continue to hurt her and prove to her she didn't deserve to be loved. But she was ready to put that belief to rest. To return it to Doom. To replace it with childlike wonder. She was ready to be loved.

Looking up at the man with tears in her eyes she smiled at him. "Thank you. I had no idea I needed that." Smiling back at her he tipped his hat in her direction. "I'm sorry, would you please excuse me?" Wiping at her eyes, she gestured to her face. "I should go clean up." He nodded still smiling. Heading to the lavatory, she laughed at herself. Cal was right she was a cry baby.

It didn't take her long. In fact she was feeling lighter than she had in a very long time. She returned to the bar looking forward to chatting further with the interesting gentleman. Taking her seat though she noticed he was not where she had left him. Frowning, she looked around the restaurant but didn't spot him. When the waitress came by to pick up her dishes, Gillian asked for the check and inquired about the man. "I'm sorry, but did you happen to see where the gentleman who was sitting there earlier happened to go?"

The waitress eyed her like she was a bit odd. "I'm sorry dear, but you're the only one's been at the bar all day."

"No, that's… that's not possible. He was just there." Gillian responded with confusion. "Perhaps he works here?"

"Well what did he look like?" Gillian could tell the waitress was humoring her.

"He had a tweed hat and glasses, say in his sixties." She could tell by the waitress' face that it wasn't ringing any bells.

"Sorry mum doesn't sound like anyone I know." The waitress excused herself and Gillian rose from the bar. It was definitely time to make her own exit. Perhaps she'd run into the man outside the restaurant. Maybe he had gone for a smoke.

Stepping outside, she put all thoughts of the odd exchange with the waitress out of her mind. The conversation with the gentleman was harder to dispel. Contemplating what he had said to her, she made the decision to email Emily. It wasn't fair to leave her in the dark. Gillian couldn't bear the thought of hurting Emily; the one time she had lied to her had nearly done her in. Whatever the repercussions, she would live with them.

Realizing that she wasn't ready to field the questions that would likely come up if she called her, she decided instead to send an email. Typing out the message, she felt a weight ease off her shoulders. She reviewed it once before hitting send.

Not sure how long it would be before Emily replied, she slipped the phone back into her bag. She still needed clothes for the week as she had brought nothing with her. Heading out of the restaurant, she spotted a woman's boutique. She wandered the racks, pulling out dresses and shirts made of soft flowy fabrics. Adding a few shorts and pants to her selection, she requested a fitting room. Trying on the clothes she found a few outfits that made her feel young, girly and happy. It was the last quality that made the purchases worth it. She even managed to find some necessary accessories and undergarments to go along with the clothes.

Feeling a bit more prepared for her week, she paid for the items. The cashier handed her the bags. Stepping out of the store, a beeping alerted her to a new message. It could only be one person. Finding a bench she sat down and fished the phone out of her purse. Taking a deep breath she opened the email.

* * *

"Now tell me again Agron where were you that night?" Wallowski folded her hands in front of her on the table and looked across at their primary suspect. He didn't flinch or blink. Neither did the two men sitting on either side of him. All three had surprisingly agreed to come in right away for questioning. They hadn't seemed bothered or even curious by her request that they come to the Lightman group instead of the precinct. It was suspicious as hell. These three were definitely hiding something.

"As I said, I was with my brothers. We were playing cards at our apartment." The suspect showed no movements on his face. He spoke as calmly as if she had asked him the time of day.

The brothers nodded their agreement. The one on the right added a verbal confirmation, "This is true."

"You all three still live together?" Ria gestured toward each of them flashing an expression of disgust. "Kind of old to be sharing an apartment aren't you?" Expecting a reaction after Ria impugned their masculinity, Eli leaned forward watching closely on the monitors, but to no avail. Their expressions didn't change, not a flicker. Ria's eyebrow arched just slightly.

"It makes financial sense for us to share the cost of an apartment." Agron replied stoically.

"Doesn't hinder your sex life?" Wallowski looked over at Torres trusting she knew where she was going with this. The three men reacted as if Ria had simply commented on the weather. No emotion.

"Not at all." Agron replied simply, no change in his vocal pitch.

"And the three of you don't fight? Don't… get in each other's way?" Ria questioned leaning forward across the table. "I mean don't all brothers fight?" Outside the cube, Eli checked the monitors tracking their respiration and heart rates, but there were no blips.

"We are family." Agron stated as if that was answer enough. His brothers nodded as if agreeing with him. She studied them for any signs of deception but saw nothing.

Wallowski interjected. "Alright Agron, before the card game what were you doing? Walk us through your day."

"I awoke, went for a run, showered, and headed to work. After work I returned home, played cards, and then went to bed." Agron listed his day as if reading from a grocery list.

"That sounds fascinating." Ria sat forward eyeing him closely, "Now tell us that again but backwards, starting from going to bed."

Agron tilted his head toward her, then began, "Before going to bed I played cards; before work I showered, after I had gone for a run, which I did after I woke up."

Eli's brow furrowed in confusion. Not a blip on his monitors, not a flutter on his face. He checked the voice analysis software. Nothing. A big fat nothing. Something was off. He bit his lower lip and looked back up in time to see Wallowski take back over.

"Now Faton," Wallowski flipped open a folder, referring to some notes she had. "You were away on business that morning. Is that right?"

"Yes." The brother on Agron's right nodded.

"What do you remember of the evening?" Wallowski eyed him over the open folder.

"It is as Agron said. When the car dropped me off from the airport, I came inside and joined my brothers for dinner. Then we played cards…"

"Who won?" Ria interrupted, slamming her hand down on the table. All three simply looked over at her, no surprise on their faces, no flinching from the sound, no response whatsoever. The only one responding was Ria and Eli knew his own face was mirroring the same frustration.

"We are fairly evenly matched." Faton replied. "We each took some hands."

Agron nodded towards his brother. "Faton is being modest. He is the better player." Faton bowed his head in silent acknowledgment of the praise.

"And you agree with that assessment Veton?" Wallowski asked the brother on Agron's left. His only response was some form of grunt in acknowledgment. "Was that a yes?"

Agron spoke for him. "My brother's English is not so good. He knows Faton is the better card player." Veton nodded in confirmation.

"Why's your arm in a sling?" Ria eyed Veton's arm. Veton looked to Agron.

"Veton injured himself training." Ria's eyebrows raised up questioningly at Agron's response. "Weight lifting." Agron clarified.

"When was this?" Wallowski asked.

"Last week." Agron replied for Veton. "As we had told you detective when you came to our firm. I believe our gym was most accommodating to your request for confirmation." All three brothers looked at Wallowski as if waiting her acknowledgment, but it was Ria who responded.

"They said you didn't listen to the trainers. That they told you the weights were too much for you." Ria emphasized her disgust in an attempt to belittle the man. He was obviously very conscious of his body. This would likely trigger a reaction.

But it didn't. Veton looked questioningly at Agron, who spoke to him in their mother language. Eli quickly turned on the translation software which informed him Agron had said, "She questions your ability to handle the weights." Eli read the translation so that Ria would hear it in her ear piece.

Veton chuckled softly, though there was no corresponding facial markers for amusement. He spoke back to his brother. "I should not have done so many upright rows. But the trainers are overly cautious." Eli relayed the response to Ria.

Agron translated, "My brother admits his fault in performing too many upright rows. And he says that the trainers are too fearful. Veton spent many years in our home country training for events. I believe this time he pushed too hard. Generally he is very good about taking care of his body."

"What do you know about the murder?" Ria attempted to shock them with the direction of her questioning but was met only with mild indifference.

"Do you mean the junkie found dead at the police station? We only know what Detective Wallowski told me. That someone killed him in the alley."

"And were you aware that someone saw you, one of you, outside with the junkie? You're the only one without an alibi." Ria slammed her hands down in front of him. "Did you enjoy killing him? Maybe felt something? Do your brothers know you're a killer?" Ria watched his face for a sign of anything but he remained perfectly stoic. She wanted to hit him.

"It seems that perhaps we have misunderstood why we were brought here. We were under the impression we could help the police with an investigation. Whoever said they saw one of us is mistaken. My brothers and I were together that evening." Argon's voice pitch didn't waver, his face muscles didn't twitch, he remained as calm as a cucumber. He turned and nodded once at Faton before turning back to the detective. His brother pulled out his phone, typed something into it, and then returned it to his pocket. "Now do you have any other questions for us or are we free to go?"

* * *

Cal grabbed another forkful of his salad before chasing it with a swallow of beer. Having changed into warm weather attire, he and Emily had relocated to the pool bar and were enjoying some refreshments. Emily popped a fry into her mouth and sighed contentedly.

A buzzing sound from her pocket drew both of their attentions for a second. Cal immediately lost interest and began to people watch. It was obvious the frustrated woman with the five kids wanted to shove her lazy husband into the deep end. Laughing to himself he looked over thinking to clue Em in on the joke. He paused when he saw her face. "What is it luv?"

Emily swallowed slowly then looked up at him. "Gillian." She said simply.

Waving his hand at himself, he told her, "Give it 'ere."

She paused for a second then handed the phone over, watching him intently. He took one last look into her eyes to better prepare himself for what he was about to read. Nodding lightly he looked down at the message:

'Emily,

I'm so sorry that I missed your special lunch and didn't explain why in person. Told Loker I needed to take a few days for family issues, which is in a way true.

My own family was never really there for me growing up. Not sure if you remember, but when you were nine you invited me to be a part of your family. I've never received a more generous gift. You have and always will be very special to me and I am deeply sorry if I hurt you or let you down. I will try my best to make it up to you.

My departure was unexpected and unplanned. Something happened that knocked me off balance and made me question where I belong. I admit that I panicked and the way I left was wrong and I'm sorry for that too. In order to figure this out l needed to leave everything behind but that doesn't mean I don't carry you with me.

I'm not sure when I will be back; I need to figure out how to move forward first. Please know that this is all on me.

I love you very much.

Gillian'

Cal read it, and reread it and read it again. Her words were so sad. It made him ache. "You were right Em. This all is my fault."

Emily bit her cheek. "It's not _all_ your fault dad. And anyway, this is what you needed. It's what you both needed to get you together."

Cal looked at her. "I need to make this right." The love Foster had for his daughter would be enough reason for him to love her. Everything that had happened between them would be enough. The years of her putting up with him, of staying the course even when he didn't deserve it. All of it was so far beyond enough. Thinking of it now, adding up all the reasons to love her, well… he was a complete tosser for waiting this long. This time he would earn that love. He would do whatever it took to prove that he loved her. Like Em said, it was time to do it right. "So… normally, I'd accost you and try to reach Foster once I knew she had contacted you. I'd read it off of you whether you wanted me to or not."

"Especially since it had to do with Gillian." Emily nodded, seeing her father was getting on board with her opposite plan.

"Right. So, then I guess I let you respond however you would." He handed back the phone.

Emily looked at him chewing on the side of her lower lip. "But I could have got the text without you around and responded. How do we let Gillian know, _you_ know, without you responding normally?" Emily began thinking, then started typing. Reviewing her message, she nodded then handed the phone over to Cal. "What do you think?"

He looked up at her after reading her response. Love and pride evident on his face. "It's brilliant luv." Looking back he typed something else. "Just needs one minor addition."

* * *

Ria wanted to scream or hit something. It was almost as if the men in the cube had been coached by Lightman himself. "I just don't get it, it's like they're stonewalling us. I can't get anything off of them! It's insane. We really need Lightman. I don't think I can do this."

Loker exchanged glances with the detective. She and Ria had excused themselves from the cube to check in with Eli. They had been hoping he would have something for them. "Look, we just need to approach this … differently. I'm not getting anything off of them either…"

"But I'm a natural." Ria interrupted him throwing her hands up in the air.

"Yeah, but I've studied the science far longer and I'm more practiced at these interviews." Eli threw his pen down on the desk for emphasis.

"For what it's worth, with my experience, I'm not seeing a crack in their story either." Wallowski offered too. "They aren't budging and it's not like we've found anything to use against them. They're too tight lipped."

"It just doesn't make sense. It's like they have no markers at all." She paced back and forth in front of Eli and Sharon.

Eli shook his head frustrated as well by the suspects' recalcitrance. "They aren't showing any of the usual signs of lying. No changes in body temperature, breathing, or heart rate." Eli shrugged, then paused looking off to the side contemplatively. "It's almost as if they have no emotions." Turning to the detective something clicked. "Were they specially trained? Military? Police? Agency training? That sort of thing?"

"Not that I'm aware of, no, but we can do some further digging." Wallowski frowned. "Maybe their affiliation with the Albanian Boys …"

"Did you just see that?" Ria asked incredulously interrupting the exchange between Eli and Sharon. She was pointing at something inside the cube. The other two looked at her questioningly. Ria stepped behind Eli's desk and pulled up the feed rewinding it a few minutes. "Look, look at their faces."

Eli sat forward watching the interaction. "Well I'll be damned. They're communicating with each other."

"What do you see?" Wallowski asked watching the faces on the monitor.

Ria pointed at the monitor and replayed the footage. "Watch their eyes, the measured blinking and the very small facial tics. The raising of certain fingers. It's like …"

"They have their own language; just like Lightman and Foster." Wallowski finished the younger woman's thought.

"This had to have taken years to develop. There's no way we are going to be able to crack it quickly." Eli pondered watching the nonverbal exchange continuing in the cube. "We're going to need a lot more data…"

The three looked up as the door opened and Anna entered looking perturbed and followed by two men in well-tailored suits. "Detective Wallowski, this is…" Before she could continue one of the men stepped forward.

"David Shiller of Shiller and Onato LLP." He handed the detective his card. "We represent the Jensen brothers. Now our clients have been more than generous with their time, coming here of their own volition to answer your questions. So unless you plan on arresting them, they will be leaving with us."


	4. Absolutely Nothing

The Most Magical Place on Earth – Chapter 4: Absolutely Nothing

* * *

Thanks for continuing to read this story.

A very big THANK YOU to those who have reviewed. I've gotten some great pointers and it's helped me keep up the momentum. Thank you for your kindness and time.

If you would, please leave feedback on this chapter. It really helps with motivation, ideas, and stamina. It also lets me know if you are enjoying the story and whether I should keep going.

This started out with the intention of just being a Gillian/Cal storyline but has morphed into something bigger with a mind of its own.

As a point of clarification, writing for FanFiction is definitely new to me. Just starting out here. I wrote in school many years ago, then didn't really write much. Recently, I have begun again. So thank you for the positive advice and feedback. It means a lot to me.

* * *

The poem referenced in this story is On Raglan Road by Patrick Kavanagh.

I do not own Lie to Me, the characters, dialogue, or events in the episodes.

* * *

Gillian didn't know how long she sat on the bench. The message had not been at all what she had expected:

'Gillian,

The lunch would only have been special if you had been there to celebrate with me and dad. He knows he messed up, inviting Wallowski to tag along, but he swears it was business. He says it's only been business.

When I told him the lunch was meant to thank you for helping me with college, he felt like a right tosser. It was, you know, meant to thank you. And not just cause of school. You've always been there for me Gillian and for dad too. I kinda hoped the lunch would be a small way to thank you for that.

We looked for you. When you didn't show up, we got worried and went straight back to the office to look for you. Didn't even eat anything; our leftovers are still in the fridge. That's how important you are. To me. To Dad.

Of course I remember my 9th birthday. It may be my best birthday actually. Dad made me a spy city, you gave me my first real piece of jewelry, and we became family. We as in me, you, and dad. You said your family wasn't always there for you and I'm sorry about whatever happened with them. It's our gain though because you're an amazing person.

I can't claim to understand what you are dealing with right now, but you have never hurt me or let me down. I hope you figure out that you have everything you need right now right where you are.

Dad says he is sorry. He told me that this is all his fault and that he will do whatever is in his power to make it right.

We both love you very much.

Emily

Gill, I will make this right. - Cal'

Gillian couldn't stop reading the message. Each time she read it she felt warmer inside, more confused but definitely warmer. Emily's words had touched her heart and Cal's words had…

She couldn't even describe what his words were doing to her.

He knew she had messaged Emily and he tacked on that note to the end of his daughter's response to tell her that. Which meant he had read what Emily wrote. But he hadn't gone on the offensive or the defensive. There was no attack, no attempt to cajole her into returning, no demands to reveal her location. Only a promise. 'I will make this right.'

And to Gill. Not Gillian. He had used the personal, the familiar. The one syllable version of her name that matched the one syllable in his name. Gill. Cal. The most intimate reference.

She reread the email again, her heart pounding. Each statement cluing her into his true feelings. Cal wouldn't lie to his daughter, nor through her. What Emily wrote, he read and authorized. He confirmed. It was his way of telling Gillian it was true. Truth. It was so … unlike him. It was unguarded and vulnerable and …

Flushing, she read the email again.

'He knows he messed up, inviting Wallowski to tag along, but he swears it was business. He says it's only been business.' She read Emily's words but in her mind she heard them in Cal's voice. "I messed up luv. I never should have invited Shazzer. It was just a case Gill. Business. It's only ever been business."

Gillian's hands trembled. Cal wasn't interested in Sharon Wallowski. He'd never been interested in her. Could that really be true? Had she misread the situation so badly? Her memory flashed back to seeing Wallowski sitting at the table. She had felt replaced…but had she been wrong?

'God I hope so.' She thought before immediately feeling her face turn red. Her feelings for Cal were visceral, so strong. Denied, compartmentalized, and repressed for years; bringing them to the surface now was making her head swim and her stomach flutter. He had felt the need to tell her it was only business. But to share that meant… that he knew she needed to hear that. That he wanted her to hear that, to know it.

She bit her lips and her eyes caught on Emily's words. 'We looked for you. When you didn't show up… That's how important you are. To me. To Dad.' She had wondered if he would come looking for her; if it would matter to him. Not just because of the business. She admitted that now to herself. 'I wanted him to find me, to show me he cared. But I ran because I didn't think he would…' She had cut off his way of contacting her, not just to giver herself time and space to handle her emotional response, but also to eliminate the hurt she would have felt if he hadn't come for her.

Admitting that was hard. Gillian took a shaky breath. All her life she had come in second for the men that she loved. Her father, Alec, Dave. They all loved something more. She had been in this spiral for so long, allowing it to throw her from her own path. But this time she had gotten off the roller coaster. She had run to find space to be able to breathe and to think. No one had ever thrown her like Cal could and no one else had ever mattered so much. Did he really feel the same? Was it more for him too?

Her brain pulled up a voice in her mind, an echo of the past. Dave at his worst, beaten, afraid of being killed, asking Cal how he really felt about Gillian. _"You're feelings for her are the only reason you're here. You want the truth? Be honest…Admit it. You want her."_ Gillian recalled how Dave had looked at her, checking to see if she was listening, gauging her reaction. She remembered schooling her face, hiding any reaction other than concern for Dave and surprise at his question. But she felt her own heart stop at the answer.

" _Yes. I do. In the worst possible way."_ Her mind had completely gone into preservation mode in that moment. It had filled with excuses that Cal had only said it as a front, as a way to show he had a conflict with Dave, as a way to gain sympathy and earn the trust of Dave's kidnappers. Her mind refused to believe that Cal was being that open, that honest. Even as her heart rebelled, screaming inside her that it needed it to be true. She had been denying this for so long, it didn't seem possible that it could be true now. But Emily's words, Cal's words, were telling her different.

Gillian looked back at her phone; '…we became family. We as in me, you, and dad.' They were her family. Seeing Wallowski had made her doubt her place, doubt their need for her. Emily's words reminded her that there was no need for doubt. They saw her as family too. Gillian felt such happiness at that thought. She did belong with them. They belonged with her. Cal belonged with her.

'I hope you figure out that you have everything you need right now right where you are… We both love you very much.' Love. Everything she needs. Right now. Right where I am. Cal loves me? I love him. Am I really ready to admit that to him? Have I figured out that I have everything I need right now, right here?

"Yes, I have. I finally have." She whispered staring at Cal's words to her as her heart swelled inside her chest. 'Gill, I will make this right.' "So will I, Cal, so will I."

* * *

"There's got to be something we missed." Ria bit her lower lip. "Loker, can you replay the videos again."

He did as asked, before picking up a pencil and tapping it on the desk. "Not that it's going to help, I mean we've reviewed them over and over and got nothing. These guys had to be trained by somebody."

"No, there's something there… something off. We're just not seeing it." Something was itching at the back of Ria's mind.

They watched each of the monitors closely. Ever since the attorneys had 'rescued' their clients, they had been at the footage looking for something Wallowski could use to arrest the suspect.

"They're not giving anything away. No reactions whatsoever." Loker frowned at the screen, throwing his arms up in frustration and abandoning further analysis, choosing instead to fall back on the research he loved. "It's like they are intentionally misleading us, like chimpanzees."

"Excuse me?" Wallowski asked looking at Loker as though he had lost his mind. "What does a chimpanzee have to do with my suspects?"

Loker jumped at her inquiry, pulling her unwillingly into his happy place. "There have been studies of chimpanzees that show they will purposefully manipulate the psychological state of another chimpanzee or even a human. Especially when competing for food. The researchers have set up experiments where they actually found that chimpanzees know what the other competitors can or can't see and will manipulate that to their advantage…"

Loker continued to elaborate on the studies while Wallowski tried to figure a way out of the conversation. Ria tuned him out still intently watching the video feeds. His words: "manipulate to their advantage," floated around in her mind as she glanced between the brothers. As she watched a snippet of Loker's ongoing educational lesson fluttered into her consciousness, "…some even learned to hide themselves from their competitors…"

Hearing these words something clicked and Ria's eyes widened as her brain began to tease out exactly what had been bugging her about the brothers. Frowning and crinkling her eyebrows she directed Loker, "Loker!" He stopped his babbling about chimpanzees and sat forward. Wallowski shot Ria an appreciative glance before recognizing the honed look on the young woman's face. "Loker, play it again, but this time can you zoom in on each of their faces separately?"

"Ok." A little peeved at being interrupted but trusting that Ria knew what she was doing, Loker ran a program that enlarged the faces of each brother. He then displayed the generated feeds on three separate monitors.

Ria's eyes were roaming over each face, going back and forth between the monitors. Spotting something the others missed she told Loker, "Freeze it, there." Unsure which monitor she was referring to he stopped them all. It appeared to be the correct response because he heard the touch of excitement in her voice when she asked them, "Do you see that?"

Sharon could tell she was onto something. "What is it?" She asked stepping next to Ria and looking up at the images.

"They … are _not_ identical. One of them looks different." Ria's eyes never left her search of the monitors.

Eli and Sharon's faces showed their skepticism. "Are you sure?" The detective asked.

"Positive. It's subtle. His hairline, it rises higher on one side." She pointed at one of the screens indicating what she had spotted. "The slant of the eyes… it's not like the other two." Looking at Loker and Wallowski's faces she easily saw their disbelief. "You're telling me you don't see it?" Sighing in frustration, she bit her lip. "Look, trust me on this. I mean it's possible they aren't identical triplets. Right? I mean the probability of triplets being born identical is …" She waved her hands in the air in frustration trying to quantify the improbability.

Eli jumped in clarifying the likelihood, "The odds of giving birth to identical triplets is somewhere in the range of 20 to 30 births in a million."

"Right. That's really rare." Ria nodded her agreement, thankful for his retention of information.

"With triplets what's more likely is that two of the babies are identical twins and the third child is a non-identical sibling." Eli continued tapping his pencil against his chin absently.

Ria broke in, "Right and usually that sibling would look different, but sometimes … sometimes they don't and you have a fraternal look alike, a sibling that looks so much like the twins, that they all appear identical." Ria's excitement was evident in the speed of her words and the gesturing of her hands. "And that's what is going on here. I mean it's so subtle, I almost missed it…"

Eli sat forward in his chair taking a fresh look at the pictures. "I don't see it." Pulling up the facial recognition software on his computer, he ran the program which began mapping the faces on the monitors. "But this program should confirm if there are facial distinctions we are missing."

After a few seconds, it became clear that Ria was right. The screens showed the program mapping the contours of the faces. Two faces were clearly exactly the same, but the program began ticking off the subtle differences on the third face. Ria had caught it. The brothers were not all identical.

"I'll be damned." Loker offered impressed.

"Which brother is that?" Wallowski pointed at the screen with the third face. She knew the answer already but wanted it confirmed, because it couldn't really be that easy.

Ria beamed turning to Eli to confirm it. His smug expression was easy enough to read but he announced their victory verbally. "That would be your suspect."

"This should be enough for your warrant. His DNA would be different." Ria smiled at the detective proudly. Sharon nodded in agreement, grinning back.

"Can I get a copy of this?" The detective asked Eli.

"Sure, I'll print one out now. Be right back." Eli exited the room to retrieve the prints, leaving the two women alone.

"How did you spot that?" Wallowski asked her curiously.

Ria shrugged, averting her eyes down. "I knew a pair of fraternal look-alikes once." The detective noticed the blush on the woman's neck and the tightening of her mouth.

"They play a switch on you?" She asked gently.

Ria paused before responding, sizing the other woman up. "They tried to." She shrugged with feigned nonchalance.

Wallowski smirked back. "Not much gets past you does it?" She hadn't had much exposure to Ria or Eli before this case. Cal had always been her point of contact, with the occasional uncomfortable addition of Foster. She had to admit that earlier in the day when he dropped Ria on her, she had been concerned about the young woman's aptitude but Torres had delivered.

"No it doesn't." Ria was watching the detective closely. It was an interesting situation she found herself in. The detective was good at hiding her emotions, but Ria still caught the flashes that most other would miss. She knew that earlier the detective had been disappointed and worried when Cal gave her the case. Now she could read the relief and elation on the detective's face at finding a way to get that warrant. She smiled back standing a little prouder herself.

Wallowski watched as the younger woman blatantly read her responses. She admired her brass. Not many people would be brave enough to openly analyze her. Sharon contemplated what she had learned today about Cal's apprentice. Based on her focus and perseverance with the video footage, she knew Ria wouldn't give up easily. That was a quality she could relate to, stubborn to a fault. Stubborn and forthright, two qualities she found incredibly sexy.

Ria spotted a flash of something in the detective's eyes that caused her eyebrows to raise in surprise. Had she read that right? Before she could investigate further, Eli's voice signaled his return. "Got your copies detective." He handed Wallowski the print outs.

Holding up the paperwork, she stepped between them heading for the door. "Going to see a judge about a warrant. Eli." Nodding sharply at Loker on her left, she turned so that Torrez could only see her face, "Ria." Wallowski's eyes held an allure of a challenge for the younger woman.

"Great job Torres." Loker interrupted Ria's musings on the detective. "Didn't even need Lightman."

"Mmmmm" she mumbled in response still chewing on her lower lip.

"What? You should be thrilled. You solved this case all on your own. Betcha even Lightman wouldn't have caught that facial difference. That was impressive."

Half listening, Ria managed a brief smile and a distracted nod. The look the detective had given her was stirring up some old feelings that she really didn't want to address right now. Shrugging it off, she turned back to Eli, ready for a distraction. "Guess we better finalize the report on this."

"Really Torres? Mom and dad are away and you want to write a report?" Eli's eyebrow arched up at her questioningly.

"Eli, Lightman left me in charge… on his case… with Wallowski. When he gets back he is going to want to know exactly how we handled it." She didn't really know why she was defending herself to him, but she thought if she could persuade him to help her with the report, they would both benefit. "If we do a good job, maybe he will give us more responsibility and freedom?"

"You got a little something there." Eli scratched at his own nose, insinuating she was brown nosing their boss.

"Ugh!" She groaned. "You are so juvenile. Just help me with the report ok?"

"Fine, but you owe me a drink later." Eli quipped sitting down and pulling up the report forms on his computer.

"Whatever." She said rolling her eyes but smiling at the corner of her mouth as she pulled her chair next to him and looked at the screen.

* * *

Cal couldn't stay in the room any longer. His daughter had informed him he would wear a hole in the carpet with all his pacing. He felt like a caged tiger.

They had come up with a semblance of a plan. Instead of rushing head first into it with Gillian, he would hang back. He'd approach her gently and slowly and leave a lot of the deciding to her. No running, no pushing her away. And no craziness. Hopefully, he could stick to that plan.

Before heading down to the bar, for a much needed drink, he had checked on his daughter. Knocking she told him to come in and he found her in the bathroom filling the bathtub with water. Her cell phone and ear buds were sitting on the side of the tub. "Oy, you're not planning on wearing those while you have a laugh?"

Rolling her eyes at her father she continued to pluck her eyebrows. "It's called a bath dad. And you can't be electrocuted from a cell phone battery."

"Well that thing's expensive. Cell phones don't grow on trees, right." He gestured towards it angrily. "And I know it's a bath luv, bath laugh, it rhymes. Besides you used to love when I called it a laugh."

"Ughhh! Dad I'm not five anymore." She groaned in frustration. "Don't you have a carpet to wear a hole in?"

"Actually, I'm going down to grab a pint. Was checking if you wanted to come?" Cal sat on the edge of the tub and watched his daughter preen.

"I've been with you all day Dad; I think you can manage an hour or two on your own. Don't you?" Emily eyed him in the mirror.

"Cheeky git." He attempted to sound pissy, but failed to hide his grin.

"Besides, I'm all set to soak for a bit and I need to call Sam to catch up on all this drama. I mean it's not every day your father realizes he needs to chase the love of his life to Florida!" Emily's excitement was evident in her tone as she turned toward him and leaned against the counter.

"Sam?" Cal's eyes narrowed.

"Yes, Dad, Sam. As in short for Samantha." He read her face and saw she was telling the truth. She purposefully bugged her eyes at him and pinched her mouth. "Stop reading me."

"The day I stop breathing luv. Well," he stood up and hugged her, kissing the top of her head, "I'll be off then." Pointing at her face, "Be careful of that phone and don't go sharing all my secrets."

"Bye Dad. Don't forget your key." She shut the door behind him a bit harder than he'd have liked. Perhaps he'd pushed a little too much. She had, after all, come all this way with him. Em was a good kid. Grabbing his coat and key card, he made sure the door locked behind him before going in search of the resort's bar.

* * *

Gillian might have sat there all day staring at the text and thinking about Cal if it hadn't been for a loud voice calling her name. "Gillian!"

Looking up she spotted the blond hair and freckled face running toward her at full tilt. "Robert!" She keyed off the phone as he hopped up next to her on the bench. He threw his arms around her laughing and she responded in kind.

"I missed you!" He said seriously as he pulled back. "Ava got ice cream." Glancing up she saw that his aunt and uncle were heading in their direction, wheeling an ice cream covered Ava happily chowing down on what, at some point, must have been a vanilla cone. "We are going back now. Do you want to come with us? You can sit next to me on the bus again." He smiled at her before squinting and tilting his head to the side. His little hand pointed at something on her arm. Then he looked down at his own arm, pulling his sleeve up. Glancing back at hers, he moved his little finger around in a circle again pointing at her arm.

"What are you doing Robert?" Gillian asked watching his movements.

"I'm trying to see who has more freckles." Gillian laughed out loud in response not expecting that answer. Robert looked up at her curiously before realizing that he had made her laugh. A huge grin broke out on his face.

"Hello again Dr. Foster." Darcy smiled as she wheeled Ava in the stroller towards Gillian and Robert.

"Done some shopping I see." Brian followed behind his wife nodding towards Gillian's bags.

"Hello to you both. Please call me Gillian." She replied happily before looking down to see Robert still trying to count her freckles. She shook her head in amusement. Turning back to the family she smiled at Ava, "It looks like you are enjoying that ice cream cone."

Brian laughed. "That is an understatement. There is nothing Ava likes more than ice cream."

Darcy squatted down in front of her daughter. Having finished off the cone, Ava was now licking the melted ice cream drops from her arms. Her mother pulled out a packet of baby wipes then unfastened Ava from the seat in order to clean her off better, much to the chagrin of her daughter. Ava was twisting away and screeching as if the baby wipes were made of some type of toxic material.

Gillian couldn't help but smile sympathetically at the exchange. Turning back to the freckle counter, she inquired, "You must have enjoyed your ice cream as well to be finished already."

Glancing up at her Robert turned his head to the side, "I can't eat ice cream. I'm lack-toes intorerant." Shrugging he went back to his analysis.

Gillian tried to hide the frown from her face. It didn't seem right that Robert missed out on enjoying a treat while watching Ava devour hers. Maybe there was a way to remedy that? Looking over at the couple, she noticed that Brian had stepped into try and help his wife wipe off their now shrieking daughter. Quietly she asked Robert, "That's unfortunate Robert, are there things you enjoy eating?"

Robert had paused in his assessment of her arm and was looking with masked annoyance at the now thrashing Ava. It was interesting that he was hiding his feelings at such a young age. It made Gillian pause. Sensing she was watching him, he looked up at her with a side glance, momentarily forgetting Ava's antics. "It's ok. I've been lack-toes intorerant my whole life. So I never have ice cream. But I like lots of other things to eat. What do you like?" He sat forward on his knees putting his hands on her shoulders and looking closely at her face. The invasion into her personal space reminded her so much of Cal that she felt warmth reemerging in her belly.

"I like lots of things too. In fact, I believe there is a sweet shop on our way towards the buses. Isn't that right?" She saw his little eyes light up.

"Yes! Yes, yes, yes." He rocked up and down in his enthusiasm. "They have lots of good things to eat."

"Robert mentioned that you would be heading back to the resort. If it would be alright, I'd love to treat him to something on the way back? As a thank you for all the good advice he gave me about Downtown Disney on the way over here." Gillian directed the question at the two adults. Darcy was now attempting to wrestle Ava back into the seat. She felt a little twinge of guilt at not having asked privately. She didn't want to overstep or disappoint Robert if the answer was no, but she needn't have worried.

Brian had only been halfway paying attention to Gillian, but didn't seem at all concerned by her offer. "Sure, no problem. That's really nice. What do you think Robert?"

"That's super nice!" Robert climbed down off of the bench and grabbed Gillian's hand pulling her up. "Can we go now?"

"As soon … as I can… get Ava… to sit …down." Darcy huffed finally snapping the belt on the stroller around Ava's waist. For her part Ava huffed in defeat wrapping her arms around herself defiantly. "Alright, we can go now."

"YESSSS," Robert excitedly yelled. Spotting the look Darcy gave him though he composed himself quickly. "I mean yes." He repeated in a much quieter voice. Motioning for his aunt and uncle to follow him, he whispered, "Come on Gillian." Then holding her hand he directed her through the crowd toward the sweet store.

Darcy was about to follow when Brian laid his hand on her shoulder to hold her back a little. She looked at him oddly, but he gave a minuscule shake of his head 'no,' before whispering something in her ear. Perplexed her gaze followed Gillian and Robert. They were laughing and holding hands. Robert was swinging her arm back and forth. They seemed totally engrossed in each other. "Quite the pair." Brian commented causing Darcy to bite the side of her lip wondering if he was right. Ava's squeal reminded them that they were not moving fast enough for her.

"Maybe you're right Brian, with her background ..." She trailed off as she started walking again. He nodded also contemplating the idea. "Might be worth an inquiry." Handing over the controls of the stroller to him, she pulled out her phone and typed out a message. Hitting send she shoved the device back into her pocket.

By the time they caught up with Robert and Gillian, Ava was cat napping. Gillian smiled at the sleeping girl and Darcy couldn't help but comment. "It really is amazing how quickly they go from one extreme to the next. A minute ago she was a holy terror, now she's sleeping like an angel." Darcy laughed shaking her head and Gillian giggled nodding her head.

"You really never know what they will do next." Gillian smiled thinking of her surprise at Robert counting her freckles. It felt so great to be around kids, even if they were rambunctious. "Darcy, you are so lucky." Gillian's hand rested on the woman's arm for a second and the two psychologists shared an understanding. The stress of a tantrum really didn't matter so much. Darcy nodded a thank you.

"I'm going to stay out here with Ava and let her rest. You all go in and pick out something tasty." Darcy told them before wheeling Ava over to a shaded area near the shop's entrance.

"Ok honey." Brian responded before following Robert and Gillian into the shop.

The little boy's eyes lit up and his excitement could barely be contained. Robert commented on everything: the colors, the smells, the tastes. When one of the workers gave him a free taffy he thanked her about ten times.

"He really is so adorably friendly." Gillian commented to Brian while watching the interaction.

He smiled knowingly and nodded. "He is a pretty cool kid." Had she been paying attention to his face she would have read more in his expression as he watched her watching Robert, but as it was her eyes were glued on the little boy. Averting his gaze he realized that Robert had stopped roaming the store and was now hopping up and down and salivating in front of a tray of candy and caramel apples. "Oh, it looks like we may have a winner."

Gillian approached Robert and squatted down next to him. "Those are one of my favorites too." She admitted. "Would you like one?" His eyes grew bigger and he nodded seriously. "Which one the candy or the caramel?" Robert's eyes went back and forth and his little tongue stuck out the side of his mouth in concentration. She could tell he was torn. "Hmmm… you know. I really like both of them myself and I haven't had either one in a very long time. Robert, if I got one of each and split them in half would you be willing to share with me?"

Robert looked at her to make sure she wasn't kidding before wrapping himself around her neck in a bear hug. "Really? You're nice Gillian. I'd like that a lot, a lot a lot." He whispered in her ear before withdrawing shyly.

Nodding, she quickly stood so he wouldn't see her eyes tear up. She really needed to get better control of her emotions. Remembering what Robert had told her she verified the contents of the caramel apple. "Excuse me. May I ask, are the caramel apples made with dairy?"

The woman behind the counter nodded, but then clarified. "Oh, sugar, we have a few in the back that are dairy free. Did you want one?"

"Yes, may we please have one of those and a candy apple? And would it be possible to have them cut in half and split between two boxes so we could share?"

The woman behind the counter who had been helping Robert beamed down at him. "Somebody's been a very good boy to be getting two kinds of apples."

He smiled back. "My friend Gillian is treat-ing me. She's super nice." He said treating slowly trying to sound out the new word.

"I guess she is." The woman responded. She cut up the apples and boxed them up putting them into separate bags. Leaning over the counter to hand one to Robert, she glanced around then winked at him before dropping a piece of taffy into the bag. Robert's eyes got big and he grinned up at her. Smiling, she turned to complete the transaction with Gillian.

As they left the store, Robert called back to the woman, "Thank you Felicia!" He attempted a one handed goodbye wave, but it was hampered a bit from holding the bag. His other hand was firmly locked with Gillian's.

* * *

Cal's eyes wandered over the few patrons seated in the lounge as he ambled over to the mostly empty bar. Pulling a chair out he slouched into the seat before glancing at the menu. He nodded appreciatively at the single malt selection; they even had a 25 year Macallan. Pricy, but no where near as much as the 50 year malt Gillian had enjoyed so much.

Flagging the bar keep down, he opted for a glass of the 18 year. He'd already spent enough on the flights and hotel, didn't need to destroy his bank account further over a glass of liquor. Cal handed over his credit card to pay when he ordered, not planning on doing too much drinking. If he was, he'd have opted for the 12 year and started a tab.

He sipped at the smooth malt enjoying the taste on his tongue. It was hard to believe he was here, that things had come to this moment now. He thought back on when he'd first met Gillian. Dr. Foster then. There had been a pull right from the beginning. An attraction like nothing he had ever experienced. He'd assumed it sexual tension and written it off as something that would fade with time. Man had that been a load of bollocks.

Swirling his glass he took another sip, lost in thought. An Irish brogue startled him out of his musings causing Cal to look up. An older bespectacled gentleman, now seated next to him at the bar, was speaking to him. Cal's brow furrowed as some of the man's words managed to slip through the fog in his mind. "…on an autumn day I met her first and knew, that her dark hair would weave a snare that I might one day rue. I saw the danger, yet I walked along the enchanted way, and I said, let grief be a fallen leaf at the dawning of the day."

"Right. Not following mate." Cal cocked an eyebrow at the older man.

"Tis a verse from a poem. Tells of a man meeting a love that he feared might one day cause him regrets." The man nodded toward Cal knowingly. "You look like you might be contemplating such a thing."

Cal read the man's face but spotted no deceit. Was it really that bloody obvious he was thinking about Gillian? Schooling his features he tilted his head at the man. No malice or humor was evident. He wasn't after a laugh at Cal's expense. A quick glance around showed no one else looking over at them. So no accomplices sending him off on a prank. His face presented only genuine interest and concern. Well he was an older man, Irish by the sound of it. The Irish were known for their hospitality. Perhaps Emily was right and he was getting too cynical with age. Shrugging, he decided to humor the bloke. Not like he had much else to do at this point.

"Yeah, maybe thinking about someone…" He started and tried to explain with his hands, but failed. "She's … special." The word did not do Gillian justice at all. He was such shite with words.

The old man didn't seem bothered at all by Cal's inability to explain. He seemed to be watching Cal's struggle as if he also understood the trouble with finding the right words.

Cal wrestled with an adequate descriptor for Gillian as the man waited patiently for him to elaborate. He decided to just try and explain his feelings even without the perfect descriptor. "She's … just bloody brilliant. I mean she's kind and smart and beautiful. She's put up with me for years, and God knows why? I mean loyal to a fault, she is. Just bloody… perfect. I mean not really, not like everyone's definition of perfect. You know she eats pudding, I mean ruddy pudding at ten in the morning, and she makes me go to these parties, and be social, and actually expects that I'll read bloody pages of financial reports. I mean it's tedious, right? She knows I won't, but she asks anyway, and she hopes I'll be better, and she… she believes I can be, that I will be. Despite all evidence to the contrary. She believes in me. Always has. And I … I love her. Deeply. So damn much it hurts. Makes it hard to breathe really." Cal downed the last of his drink and placed the empty glass on the table. He'd just told a bloody stranger he was in love with Gillian Foster. He admitted it out loud and in public.

The old man laughed and smacked Cal affectionately on the back. "And you knew it right off, on your first meeting?"

"Yeah, yeah I did. I knew something was special about her. It was like a pull, like the ocean and the sand. I couldn't get enough of her…" Cal trailed off thinking back to when he had first met Gillian. How he'd tried to shake it, tried to write it off, but every time he returned wanting to know more about her, wanting to share more of himself. It was like he couldn't stop talking with her. He opened up to her in a way he never had before. It was vulnerable and honest and scary as hell.

"And the risk was worth it?" The old man asked curiously.

Bloody Hell. Was the risk worth it? Cal thought back on their years together. On their divorces and arguments and the strain of finances and hard cases and near death experiences. But they were so minuscule compared to the wins, her relationship with Emily, the growth of their company, the celebrations, the closeness they had developed over the years. Her smile, seeing her face every morning, saying goodbye every night. Having her close, so close to him every day. She and Emily made it worthwhile. All of it.

He thought of that night on the balcony. She had commented on all the stars. He had wanted to tell her that it was her. That she was the stars, the moon, and the entire night sky. She lit up his world just by her existence in it and he saw her that way for so long. As untouchable, unattainable, unbelievably perfect. Out of reach… but now, now he wanted so much more.

"Oh yeah mate, bloody worth every penny." He nodded thinking of all he had done to get to this moment, to be here waiting for her. All he would continue to do to convince her that he loved her, that he was ready.

The old man was smiling and nodding at Cal now. "And have you told the lucky lass?"

Cal looked up at him momentarily stunned. "Er, not quite yet mate. Why I'm here, isn't it."

"And what are you waiting for?"

Cal's many employees would have paid money to have seen his face in that moment. The formidable Cal Lightman looked as if he'd seen a ghost. The echoes of Emily asking the same question rattling around in his head. His skin was covered in goose bumps and the hairs on his neck and arms were all standing at attention.

Gulping down a lung, Cal took a shaky breath. Looking the man in the eye, Cal straightened up in his seat and nodded.

"Absolutely nothing."

* * *

"You're really bad at this Loker." Ria laughed at him before taking a swig of her beer. She leant against the side of the pool table and watched as her colleague once again attempted to break. The cue stick somehow managed to slip off the end of his finger as he was trying to propel it forward causing the cue ball to roll slowly off to the side. His huff of frustration coupled with what she was reading on his face made her laugh again.

"I just need more chalk." His forehead furrowed in concentration as he ground the chalk on the tip of his cue stick.

"You need more than chalk." She murmured under her breath. "Let me try." Stepping to the end of the table, she moved the cue ball back in place. Pulling back her own cue stick, she sent the cue ball sailing smoothly forward, knocking the racked balls with a satisfying crack. The balls spread out on the table; the one with the maroon stripe rolled into the side pocket. "I'm stripes." She smiled wickedly at Eli, leaning back against the table.

"Yeah I bet you've got stripes." He huffed watching as she lined up the cue ball up perfectly with the yellow striped ball aiming it toward the side pocket.

"Mmmm spots too." She replied happily, grinning inwardly at the reference. Pointing across the table, she called her move, "Nine in the side pocket."

"I didn't think we were calling." Loker muttered after she sunk the ball. When he had suggested they play he had no idea she would be this good.

"Just trying to make the game a little fairer for you Eli." Ria was beaming. She had enjoyed seeing the surprise on his face and could tell he was impressed. Pool halls were a frequent hang out for her in her youth. Moving around the table she lined up her shots, calling them each time before sinking the balls into the named pockets. "Glad I didn't take you up on your suggestion of a bet?"

"I had no idea you'd be such a shark at this." Eli watched as she called the eight ball then sank it. He really couldn't be that upset, she looked really good leaning across the table.

"You still owe me a beer Loker." She eyed him happily. "And even though I won, I'll rack it up again while you get it." He mocked annoyance before pulling himself off of the bar stool to head for the bar.

Ria laid the rack on the table, and began collecting the balls inside it. A buzzing noise distracted her. Looking down at her pocket, she pulled out her phone and saw a call coming in. The number didn't look familiar. Shrugging, she answered it anyway, the confidence from her game seeping into her mood. "Torres." She stated simply.

"Ria, it's Wallowski." Torres' eyebrow raised involuntarily. How had the detective gotten her cell number? "I need your help."

"What's going on?" Ria asked hearing the frustration in Wallowski's tone.

"They're gone, the Shehu brothers. We went to their apartment to execute the warrant and it's been cleaned out. It's like they were never there." Ria frowned at Eli who was about to say something to her as he held out her beer. The look on her face stopped him. He could tell the phone call wasn't good.

"And you tried their office?" Ria said it more as a statement than a question.

"You haven't seen the news?" The detective's voice made Ria's stomach clench. This had to be bad.

"No. I haven't seen the news." Ria shot Eli a look that had him pulling out his cell phone and searching the internet. Unsure of what he'd find, he didn't even have to ask for more information before he found it. It was the top story of the night. Reading it over, he glanced up at Ria realizing that whoever was on the call with her was probably telling her the same thing.

"A bomb went off in their office building. It's burning now. The fire department is still fighting it, trying to prevent spread." Wallowski's voice was crackling in and out. "They aren't sure if anyone was in the building when the explosion went off."

Ria looked up at Eli, reading him. She could tell it was bringing back flashes of the last time they had dealt with explosions. Watching the emotions play out on his face, she knew they would do whatever they could to help right this mess. Steeling herself with resolve for whatever was to come she asked the detective, "What can we do?"

* * *

The bus ride back to the hotel was filled with Robert's happy chatter and Gillian's laughter. Since most of the seats were full, Gillian and Robert sat in front of Brian, Darcy and Ava. Ava passed out a few minutes into the ride, leaving Brian and Darcy free to watch the interaction in front of them. By the time they arrived at the resort, they were both smiling knowingly at each other.

"Say goodnight to Gillian, Robert. It's time to go to the room. You can have some of your apple there." Darcy reminded him gently. Robert nodded solemnly before turning to Gillian.

"Thank you Gillian for the apples and for being my friend. I hope we see you again soon." He smiled up at her and Gillian returned the smile.

"I hope so too Robert. Thank you for being my friend and for sharing all that wonderful information about Disney with me." She squatted down when he held his arms open for a hug. His hair tickled her chin as she pulled him toward her and squeezed gently. Letting him go pulled at her heart.

As Ava was now back in the car seat, Darcy wheeled Ava with Robert tagging along beside them. He turned and waved at Gillian one last time a small frown on one side of his mouth. Gillian waved back before realizing that Brian had lagged behind. He smiled at her. "Thanks for being so great with Robert. Ava keeps us on our toes, which, unfortunately, means we don't really get to give Robert as much attention."

"I mean it when I say it was my pleasure." Gillian nodded at him.

"Well, our plan is to take them both to the Magic Kingdom tomorrow. It's a surprise. If you don't have plans already, maybe we'll see you there?" Brian inquired.

"Oh, I wouldn't want to intrude again…" Gillian's surprise was evident in her response. She would like nothing more than to spend time with the little boy but she really didn't want to interrupt his time with his aunt and uncle.

"I wouldn't have asked if it was an intrusion. As I'm sure you noticed we have our hands full with Ava. It would actually be a help. Anyway think about it. It would make Robert really happy." Brian waved at her once with a grin. "Gotta go help Darcy get these kids down. Park opens at 8 am tomorrow. With two kids a 7 am wake up comes early! Good night Gillian. It's been a pleasure getting to know you."

"Good night Brian and thank you." Gillian watched him head in the direction his family had gone. It was very kind of him to offer to have her tag along with them to the Magic Kingdom. Robert had certainly been a bright spot in her day. Brian and Darcy had no idea how much that little boy had helped lift her spirits. She had temporarily forgotten all about Cal and his newfound family. Her smile waned a bit.

Looking across the large open area of the resort, she noticed the flickering of a fire outside. She walked toward it, exiting the building. Around the fire pit sat several empty rocking chairs. Curling up into one, she watched the fire dance. Remembering that she hadn't yet responded to Emily, or Cal, she decided she was just too tired to try to type up a message.

If only he were here. Face to face. Would that be easier? She didn't know.

She sighed and shivered. Despite the fire, the night air was surprisingly chilly, and she hugged her arms around herself.

"Can I offer you my coat luv?" The familiar timbre of his voice, brought her eyes to the rocking chair next to her as Cal sat down. Was he really here or was she hallucinating again.

"Are you real?" she whispered.

"Well that depends luv," he responded gently holding out his coat, "on whether you want me to be."


	5. Magic and Arson

The Most Magical Place on Earth – Chapter 5: Magic and Arson

* * *

Thank you SO MUCH for your patience and for the wonderful reviews! I am grateful and happy to hear that you are enjoying the story. The evolution has been quite fun and surprising.

A special thank you to Tangledupandsideways for the encouragement and another to SassyCop for the insights in real world practice.

I apologize for the delay on this one, the chapter was slow in coming. More twists and turns had to be integrated and have so much going on right now that it was hard to find the time to write. Greatly appreciate your patience.

Again please keep me posted on what you think! It's a huge motivator.

* * *

I do not own Lie to Me, the characters, dialogue, or events in the episodes.

* * *

" _Are you real?" she whispered._

" _Well that depends luv," he responded gently holding out his coat, "on whether you want me to be."_

* * *

She gazed at him with those beautiful eyes, initially wide with surprise, now showing hints of fear, hope and confusion. He could tell she didn't know how to answer him and his stomach tightened. Still holding the coat toward her he shook it gently, half as a reminder for her to take it and half as a peace offering.

Gillian reached out slowly, hesitantly, as if she expected her hand to go straight through the material. She really wasn't sure if he was there or not. Watching her hesitance and hearing the sharp inhale when she finally took the jacket, Cal realized that he'd have to be very gentle with her. The last time he had experienced Gillian this vulnerable was when he found her after Claire's murder. It worried him.

Cal watched Gillian as she slipped the jacket onto one arm and then pulled the back of it around to slide her other arm inside. She pulled the sides close around her, almost as if using it as a shield of protection, before breathing in deeply through her nose. He wondered if she could smell him on the material.

Having settled into the warmth of his coat, she looked back up at him with those soulful blue eyes, filled with uncertainty. He decided to use his words.

"Gill," he read her face as he spoke, hoping to catch glimpses of what she was thinking. "I want you to know I am," He allowed his remorse to visibly show on his face then circled it with his pointer finger. She nodded and he saw a small smirk on the corner of her lips. That bode well. Smiling a little himself he continued. "Also…" he paused collecting his thoughts. "I came here to… tell you that." The smirk on her face grew, he hadn't actually said he was sorry and she was calling him on it with her raised eyebrow. He smiled wider and continued. "And … I am here luv whenever you are ready to discuss," He circled his pointer finger around her face, "all that, and," gesturing back and forth between them, "all this."

Her smile softened as she laid her head against the back of the rocking chair watching him with those eyes. He'd be content to sit there all night by the fire gazing into those blue orbs. Realizing he was staring and she hadn't said a word in response, not that it really mattered to him, he could after all read her face, but as she was usually the one with the proclivity for sharing, he decided to ask her a question. Draw her into the conversation. "Was that clear as mud darling?"

She watched him still silent. He couldn't read any reason for the reticence on her features and the quiet was beginning to unnerve him. She always was his toughest read. Perhaps he had it wrong and she didn't want him to be here? His worry must have been evident on his face, because she reached out her hand to him. He took it, marveling at both the softness of her skin and their chill. "Bloody hell darling, do you want me to see if I can round you up a pair of gloves to go with that jacket?"

She laughed and it reached her eyes. That made him smile and eased some of the tension in his chest. He absently rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand, liking the way it felt. Her eyes squinted at him as she watched his thumb go back and forth across her skin.

Tilting her head to the side, she finally spoke. "I'm glad you're here."

* * *

Ria and Eli approached the officer stationed at the makeshift barricade surrounding the blackened, smoking carcass of a building. He allowed them to pass after gazing back over his shoulder for confirmation from Wallowski. She was in deep conversation with a suited man who was facing away from them, but waived them through when she spotted them. They walked over to her only to be surprised by the face when the man in the suit turned around.

"Ben?" Ria exclaimed eyebrows raised.

"Great. Lightman up my ass is just what I need to make this night even better." Ben rolled his eyes and ran his hand over his head in frustration.

"Nope. Lightman's in Florida with Foster. Instead you get us." Eli retorted. "Lucky you."

"Lightman must be a changed man if he's on vacation with Foster and left you two in charge." Ben retorted having a hard time believing Lightman would have left his subordinates in charge and an even harder time buying a vacation with Foster.

Wallowski broke in before they could exchange any more pleasantries. "FBI's got jurisdiction on the arson. Appears the same accelerant used here has been used in several fires across state borders. The most recent was another arson in a small suburb of Virginia…"

Ben cut in, "Bastard took out two of our best agents with their kid hiding in the house."

"What happened to the kid?" Ria asked with concern.

"We don't know how, but the kid somehow managed to escape. Obviously his parents weren't so lucky. Two bullets to the head execution style before they torched the place." Ben shook his head in frustration.

"And the kid saw all that? He watched his parents get killed and then his house torched?" Eli asked. When Ben nodded in confirmation, he shook his head in disgust. "Man that is rough."

"This is one tough kid. He i.d.'d the head of the Albanian boys as the one ordering the hit. Apparently, the bastard showed up in a limo outside the house while his men torched the place."

"The Albanian boys? That's the same…" Ria started to question Wallowski who nodded and cut her off.

"Yeah, the same mafia connected to the Shehu triplets. Now their workplace turns up torched? I don't believe in coincidences." Wallowski and Ben's faces looked grim.

"So where should we start? Do you want us to interview the kid?" Ria asked looking between Ben and Wallowski. She knew Ben had jurisdiction, but Wallowski had been the one who requested their help. Ben nodded and chewed on the inside of his lip for a moment.

"Kid's in protective custody. But you can review the interview footage at the precinct. I'll make a call and get them to send it over. I need to stay here and deal with this mess." Ben looked around.

"You know often an arsonist will stick around to witness the destruction caused by the fire. If I stay here, I can let you know if I spot anyone displaying facial indicia of pride, euphoria, sexual gratification, or another emotion that one might attribute to an arsonist. Plus if you interview anyone connected to the triplets or the fire I can let you know if they are lying." Eli offered.

Ria nodded agreeing with Eli, "I can handle reviewing the video footage of the kid with Wallowski. Can you give me a ride?" She asked the detective.

"Of course," Sharon offered. "I want you to take a look at the interview of the witness to our informant's murder as well. If this is all linked to the Albanian boys, there may be more to the Shehu triplets killing of the informant than we thought."

Ben grumped, "Ok, Eli you're with me." Walking off, Loker shrugged at Torres and the detective before loping after him.

Ria watched them go for a second before turning to Wallowski. "Guess that means I'm with you." She followed after the detective ignoring the flutter in her stomach.

* * *

"The message…" She paused, watching his eyes more than any other part of his face. It had been a trick of hers for as long as she'd known him. Trying to read his soul through his eyes. It was one of the few places where he couldn't hide his feelings from her. "You sent through Emily…"

He smiled at her, his face lighting up in acknowledgement of her appreciation of his methods. "Aye Aye luv. Caught that did ya?"

She smiled back at him but the question was still evident on her face. Squeezing her hand he nodded. "Meant every word she wrote luv." Catching the flicker of doubt she flashed, he further clarified, " _Every_ word."

The emphasis he placed on 'every' sent shivers down her spine. Feeling her face turn red, she dropped her gaze down to her lap, effectively hiding behind her hair. She took a deep steadying breath before raising her eyes back up to his. "I'm not sure what to say Cal. It is hard to believe this is real. That we are both here at this place together."

Tilting his head to the side to study her, he nodded. "Agreed luv. I mean who'da thunk it right? Cal Lightman at bloody Disney World. Would 'ave lost the group on that bet darling."

It took her a moment before his words registered and she realized he was teasing. Her surprise gave way to amusement. A small giggle escaped from her before she softened her gaze. "Well that wasn't exactly what I meant, but I have to admit I'm impressed that you followed me here of all places." Suddenly a flash of confusion wrinkled her forehead and eyes. She looked off to the side for a moment before narrowing her gaze at him. "How exactly did you…?"

"Wanted to come here since you were a kid? Isn't that right, Gil?" He cut her off before she could finish her question. Was that a hint of remorse on his face? It was too fast for her to catch in this light. And had he just deflected? She wasn't sure. Her faculties were a bit frayed at the moment. "And while I'd have never guessed I'd ever be here luv, I am man enough to admit that what they say about the place is true."

Eyeing him a little suspiciously, she realized she was far too drained to give him the third degree. Plus these were not the best conditions to get a read on him. It was hard enough to read him under good lighting when she wasn't emotionally, physically and mentally drained. Deciding to take the bait she asked the question he was fishing for, "And what exactly is it they say about the place?"

"Well luv, my understanding is that this is the happiest place on earth." Her eyebrow raised at this assessment. She knew something further was coming. He paused before continuing, watching her closely. "Always knew the happiest place on earth for me was right beside you, Gil."

It could have been too cheesy for words had he said it with a smirk or a hint of snarkiness. On a normal day she would have rolled her eyes at him, told him how much he frustrated her. But not today. Not after he told her that he meant every word of that beautiful message. Not after the way he said the words with such vulnerability. Not when his face showed her he meant it, that being with her now made him truly happy. Any cheesiness was easily forgiven as her breath caught in her throat and her heart swelled.

His statement was it for her. She was done. All other thoughts, concerns, worries were forgotten. Standing up quickly she closed the distance between them. Her heart was racing, her breath shallow, and her eyes were entirely black.

Shocking both Cal and herself, she climbed onto his lap, cupping his face with one hand and grabbing his hair with the other to tilt his mouth up to hers. All doubts gone, vanquished by his words and his openness with her. She pulled him to her slamming her mouth against his. Her passion so intense the fire behind them snapped to attention drowning out their shared moans.

* * *

The precinct was not as busy as Ria had expected, perhaps because of the fire. She followed Wallowski into a glassed in office area with several desks. The detective pulled an extra chair over to one and gestured for Ria to have a seat. Sitting down herself, she logged into the computer and checked on the status of the video request from Ben.

"FBI still hasn't sent the video of the kid yet." Wallowski confirmed with masked frustration. Ria could tell she was chomping at the bit to get somewhere on this case.

"Why don't we watch the video of your witness then to save time?" she suggested.

Nodding, Wallowski pulled up the video. "Mrs. Sun lives in the apartments across the street. She was out walking her poodle when she heard a weird sound coming from the alley." Wallowski explained to Ria as the file was loading. "I'm not really sure the woman heard anything, actually; it's more likely the noise startled the dog."

"If you're worried about her hearing how can you be sure of her identification of the brother?" Ria asked, wondering if there were problems she should be looking for with this witness.

"Her hearing may not be so great, but she was sharp as a tack and very much into everyone's business. You'll see what I mean on the video." Sharon gave Ria a look suggesting this witness was quite a character. "Plus she told us repeatedly that her vision is still twenty-twenty. Apparently, her doctor confirmed it and at her age it's something to be very proud of."

"Ah, here we go." The file fully loaded, Wallowski clicked on the play button to start the video feed. The date and time stamp were evident on the file's lower corner. A bare room containing a simple desk and a few chairs showed on the screen. The door opened and Wallowski and another detective entered the room accompanied by an elderly woman. Her salt and pepper hair was tied up under a wide brimmed hat. She wore silk pants with a matching embroidered silk jacket, with frog buttons secured across the front. She carried a handbag and toddling beside her was a fluffy white toy poodle.

Ria watched as Wallowski exchanged pleasantries with the woman while the other detective brought her some tea. The dog curled up under the woman's chair and went promptly to sleep. "Good thing the dog's not your eye witness." Ria joked. Wallowski eyed her incredulously and Ria wondered if her timing had been off; but then the detective smirked.

"Didn't realize everyone at the Lightman group was a smart ass." Sharon teased.

Ria shrugged in response, smiling a little herself, and went back to watching the video.

" _So Mrs. Sun, please walk us through what happened that night." Wallowski on the video asked._

" _I was out walking Tenchi. He has to go more often now that he's older. We were across from the alleyway behind your police station, near those flowering trees. He likes to go over there. So many trees. He takes so long now deciding where to go. Each tree he marks." The woman paused in her story to sip her tea. "Erm." She made a sound of disappointment with the drink. "Might I have just some hot water please?" Sharon nodded in response to the other detective who went to retrieve it._

"This is great for a baseline. She is embellishing the story with details and it is flowing easily for her. It's clear she is telling the truth." Ria offered, absentmindedly clarifying her analyses as she'd become used to doing in the lab.

" _And what happened when you were by the trees?" Wallowski encouraged Mrs. Sun to continue._

" _Oh, well Tenchi was doing his business when there was a loud noise. Tenchi jumped back and got all upset. I knew something was wrong. He was backing away from where the sound was coming from, over by the alley."_

"Ok, pause it." Ria directed the detective, who complied. "She said 'there was a loud noise,' not 'I heard a loud noise.' So I think you may be right that the dog alerted her to the sound."

"How can you be sure?" Wallowski turned her head to the side and watched Ria.

"I can't actually, but it's an odd wording. Normally someone would say they heard something. I'd have to question her directly to be able to tell you for sure if she actually heard it or not. My guess would be that she didn't." Ria bit at the inside of her lips and turned her wrists out palms up in a gesture of surrender.

"It was more a hunch for me. Nice to know my detective skills are still honed." Sharon smiled at Ria who returned it. "Anyway, while it will be helpful to go over that with her when we go to trial, it's not as important at the moment."

"When we go to trial? Getting a little ahead of ourselves aren't we detective?" Ria raised an eyebrow at Sharon's comment.

Wallowski met Ria's eyes. She leaned forward until there was hardly any space between them. "You're a natural. You can read when I'm telling the truth, right?"

Ria swallowed hard at the detective's closeness. Her eyes went back and forth between Wallowski's eyes, unsure which to focus on. Nodding, she responded, "Yes, I can tell when you're lying."

"Good." Sharon continued to hold Ria's gaze. "You asked me if I was getting ahead of myself. No. I'm not. We will find Agron Shehu. We will nail his ass for murder, and maybe even arson. _When_ we go to trial you will help coach Mrs. Sun as a witness so we can send him away for a very long time." Ria's eyebrows rose on her forehead. "Am I lying, natural?"

Ria shook her head still watching the detective. She had to admire her determination. Nodding to herself, Sharon finally pulled back and broke eye contact in order to restart the film. After one final glance at Wallowski, Ria returned her attention to the interview.

" _I saw a man come out of the darkness. He was acting strangely, like he had done something wrong."_

"Do you see how her eyebrows furrow and she frowns, you can tell she didn't care for him." Ria offered reading the older woman's expressions and pointing to the tells on the video feed.

" _How do you mean?" Sharon on the video asked._

" _You know, he was looking around like he was worried someone would see him. He kept rubbing at his hands, they were red, like they'd been covered in paint." As she spoke the older woman unconsciously rubbed her own hands in the gesture she had seen the man make._

"See how she rubbed her hands, it's an unconscious mimicking gesture of what she witnessed that night." Torrez was so focused on the screen she didn't catch the detective watching her.

" _Then he pulled out a cell phone and started speaking in a very strange language. The only thing I could hear clearly was him saying something like 'famia'_. _Then he_ _shoved the phone and his hands into his pockets and he hurried off real quick down the street. When he turned the corner I lost sight of him." Mrs. Sun responded before taking the hot water from the detective who returned to the room. She nodded a thank you before sipping the water._

" _You saw red on his hands?" The other detective in the room inquired, his skepticism evident in his tone._

 _Mrs. Sun sat up straighter and eyed the man. "Yes, I saw red on his hands. I'll have you know young man that I've got twenty-twenty vision. My eye doctor confirmed that only last month. He said I should be proud, hardly anyone my age has such great eyesight." Her chest puffed out with pride and she shot him another glare for his perceived impertinence._

"You're right. It's clear she is proud of her eyesight. Not only from her wording but see how she sits up straighter and puffs out her chest, all signs of pride. And man is she giving your fellow detective the stank eye." Torrez shook her head whistling under her breath. This older woman was feisty. She felt a smile on her face.

" _Of course Mrs. Sun. We will need you to describe him to one of our sketch artists later. That way we can create a composite of what the man looked like." Sharon paused in her writing to watch the woman._

Ria could tell that Wallowski on the video was trying to smooth things over. She snuck a glance over at the detective sitting next to her and caught the fleeting glimpse of something on Sharon's face. Had Wallowski been watching her? Sharon seemed a little too focused on the screen. Shaking her head a little to clear her curiosity, she returned to watching the interview.

" _Absolutely Detective. I'd be happy to help. With my twenty-twenty vision I clearly saw him. He had very distinct features."_

Ria watched the woman's face as she described the suspect's height, body build, and appearance. She couldn't do a voice analysis, that was Foster's expertise, but she wasn't picking up on any signs of deception. The woman was enjoying being able to share information that she was privileged to know. There was a bit of pride evident on her face.

"I'm not picking up on any signs of deception." Ria continued to watch the feed.

" _Thank you Mrs. Sun that is very descriptive…" Before Sharon could finish her statement the older woman interrupted._

" _Yes, well I do have twenty-twenty vision. That's very rare in someone of my age Detective. Or so my doctor tells me." The woman smiled and sat up even straighter in her chair._

Ria smirked. She really did like this woman.

" _Yes, so you've mentioned." Wallowski cleared her throat before beginning again. "Your descriptions will be very helpful when you meet with the sketch artist after we are done here." She looked up at the woman who nodded her head in understanding. "What did you do after you saw the man?"_

" _Well, Tenchi and I were behind the trees. I don't believe he saw us when I saw him. And believe me I saw him. My eyes are really good you know…"_

Ria caught Wallowski on the video trying to hide a smile and couldn't resist teasing her a little. "You like the witness I see." Ria smirked and elbowed the detective's arm gently.

Wallowski nodded, "Maybe… but I bet you don't _see_ as well as Mrs. Sun. Twenty-twenty you know."

Ria mock laughed in response. She hadn't expected the detective to lighten up so much. "Really? That was pretty terrible." Sharon just shrugged. Smiling at each other until they realized that their eyes were lingering too long and instantly shifted their attention once again to the video.

" _So Tenchi and I crossed the street and went to the front of the station. There was a lovely young man in uniform. I told him what we had seen and pointed to the alley. He told me to wait there and he'd take a quick look."_

Ria could tell what that nice young man had found by the exchanged looks between the two detectives in the room. She also guessed that he had been humoring the old woman until his discovery.

" _He came running back and asked me to come inside. He said they would need to ask me some more questions. When we entered the precinct, he asked a female police officer to take care of me until he returned. Then he and several other officers went back outside. I expect to investigate. The woman took me to a waiting area. They told me their names, but I'm afraid I don't remember them." She paused and sipped at her hot water._

" _That's perfectly understandable Mrs. Sun. I believe Officers Ruiz and Jones were the ones who spoke with you that evening." Wallowski had read from her notes, likely the police report from that night._

The old woman nodded as if remembering but Ria could tell she hadn't a clue what the officers' names had been. Placing her hand on Wallowski's arm, the detective paused the feed and looked up at her.

"She didn't remember the officers' names. You can tell she is fabricating that bit of information. See the rise in her shoulder and there is a slight shake of her head indicating no before she nods at you." Ria pointed to the video. Sharon leaned forward to watch the slight shoulder shrug which was hard to see on the small screen. Ria placed her hand on the detective's shoulder to get her attention. " _When_ we go to trial, we should consider prepping her around questions on her memory."

Wallowski raised her eyebrows appreciatively at Torres. "Glad you're learning, natural."

" _Please continue." Wallowski on the video nodded gently at the woman._

" _I didn't see that young man again. The woman came back and asked me for a statement and took my contact information. She said I could go home and that they would contact me with any additional questions. I asked her if there was a police officer who could walk me and Tenchi back home. It had gotten quite dark by then and I was shaken up by what had happened. She found another nice young man to escort us home."_

 _Mrs. Sun took another break to sip some more water before continuing. "Later that night I saw on the news that someone had been killed behind the police station. I assumed that was why you called me to come in today, to help identify that man as a suspect."_

Mrs. Sun's eyes were bright with the hint of a mystery and the possibly of details to be provided. Ria wondered if this was the most exciting thing that had happened to her in a while.

" _Yes, Mrs. Sun as reported on the news there was a body found behind the precinct and we are investigating all possible avenues. We'd like you to speak with our sketch artist now if that is all right with you?" Another person holding a sketch pad entered the room. Some introductions were made._

"The rest of the video is just the sketch being created by our artist. While you watch it I'm going to check in with Ben to see if he can expedite that video footage of the kid." Sharon stood and strode out of the office leaving Ria to continue her review.

Watching the detective stride out, Ria caught herself admiring Wallowski's physique. 'Stop it,' she internally scolded herself. If Lightman ever saw her checking out _his_ detective she would be in serious trouble. Besides, she had given up that phase of her life years ago. Hadn't she?

* * *

The heat from the fire coupled with the heat of her passion made Cal seriously consider the possibility of spontaneous combustion. Though he would die a happy man, a VERY happy man.

He couldn't believe that Gillian, his Gillian, was straddling him in public and pulling on his hair to press his mouth more firmly to hers. She wasn't gentle about it either. It was hot as hell, fire notwithstanding. When she bit his lower lip he felt himself arch up against her. She growled and ground herself back against him; and he, Cal Lightman, whimpered in response. Caught up in desire, she pulled his head to the side breaking their kiss to suck the skin under his ear into her mouth. He felt the world spin. How much passion had this woman been hiding all these years?

A noise alerted him to the approach of other people. Voices were coming closer and he could tell that a few were children. This was not appropriate for child viewing. Hell, given what she was currently doing to his neck he wasn't sure this was suitable for an adult to witness.

He tried, really he did, to pull her off, but no sooner were her lips parted from his neck then she once again was kissing him passionately. He groaned at the thought of having to extricate himself, but somewhere in the back of his mind he knew Gillian would be devastated tomorrow if she scarred any children tonight.

Grabbing hold of her arms he pulled her back until he could look into her eyes. Immediately she tried to return to kissing him, but somehow he remained strong in his determination. He really hated this, having to be the one in control. Looking into her eyes, he almost gave up then and there. But for some reason she was so enthralled that the approaching children were not registering in her mind. His love for her was the only reason he didn't allow himself to give in to their passion.

But God, her eyes were charcoals. There wasn't a hint of blue to be found. And the lust and love pouring off of her was overwhelming his senses. He swallowed thickly before attempting to explain. "Gil…" His voice cracked like he was revisiting puberty. He coughed before proceeding. "Gillian, there are people coming,"

She attempted to move forward towards him again as if to say she didn't care at all. "Kids Gill, there are kids…" The kiss she had started paused in its frenzy. He must have gotten through her libido induced haze. She pulled back and looked at him questioningly.

God he hated being the good guy. "There are kids coming this way and they might not understand what we are doing out here," she looked around as if trying to understand, "in public," still no cognition, God he loved this woman, "with you straddling me," she looked down at herself noticing that she was indeed straddling Cal, "and us passionately kissing like two teenagers." She looked at his lips and he growled unintentionally. That seemed to do it though. She pulled back then stood up still staring at his lips.

"We could take this somewhere else luv?" he said gently reaching out to hold her hand as he too stood up. Her eyes finally made contact with his own and then the side of her mouth raised in a cocky smile. God he was in trouble.

"Aye Aye." She waggled her eyebrows at him. If two kids hadn't skipped past right at that moment followed by their parents he would have made love to her right there. Instead, turning he pulled her behind him back inside the resort, trying for the life of him to remember how to get to his room.

* * *

"Something about all of this stinks." Ben grumbled thoughtfully as they made their way around the charring debris of the building.

"Well what you are actually smelling are tiny particles of incomplete combustion and volatile organic compounds that became airborne during the fire and are now clinging to everything around them. With a building like this there could be any number of harmful substances floating around…" Eli's scientific rationale for the cause of the burning smell after the fire was silenced by a quip from Ben.

"Ok Mr. Wizard, enough with the science. Do your job and let me know if any of these people appear to be arsonists."

The two men approached the barricade where several news crews and onlookers were stationed. Ben approached the officer keeping the onlookers at bay and exchanged words with him. Loker took in the various faces. Nothing but surprise, sadness, worry and concern on the faces of the public onlookers. The news crews showed a blend of sympathy and excitement over the story. A few of the film crew looked bored, some tired, and one stoned out of his mind. But nothing appeared on anyone's face to cause him to alert Ben.

Ben walked slowly back over to Eli. "Anything?" Loker just shook his head.

Ben sighed. This case kept going from bad to worse. First two agents get killed execution style and their home torched. They'd have had nothing to go on if it hadn't been for the kid. At least they had got that right. Placed him in protective custody with two other agents and sent him to the last place anyone would think to look for him.

He looked up at Loker when the young man excitedly said "Hello!" in reference to a particularly flustered man approaching them. "Now this man's face is showing some interesting markers." Eli whispered to Ben before the man was in ear shot.

"What happened to my building?!" The man was pale, twitchy, and already on edge based on the tone and volume of his voice.

"Well that's what we'd like to ask you?" Ben countered puffing himself up to better intimidate the man. It worked as his voice dropped a few decibels and he took a step backwards. "This is your building?"

"Uh, yes, yes it is. Ray Miller." After introducing himself, he looked back and forth between Eli and Ben trying to determine which one was in charge.

Ben pulled out his badge and identified himself before introducing Loker simply as his associate. Eli observed Mr. Miller as Ben questioned the man. Reynolds started with general questions about the building and Miller's ownership. The responses were bland at first with nothing helpful by way of facial indicia.

Things got interesting though as the questions progressed. Miller became far more rattled when Ben asked about the brokerage firm and the Shehu triplets. It was obvious that he suspected far more was going on with the firm than just business. It was equally apparent that he chose not to question those activities as long as the money was coming in. Miller kept overly qualifying the legality of activities being engaged in on his premises.

Eli finally had to cut in. "Well that's a lie."

"I beg your pardon," Miller stuttered after having once again proclaimed the lawfulness of the practice.

"You're lying. You knew something shady was going on with the firm, you just chose to ignore it because the money you were receiving was too good to pass up." Loker sometimes found slipping back into radical honesty to be quite easy.

The man huffed and blustered in response, unable to form a coherent sentence.

"It's obvious and it's written all over your face. See that's what I do, I read faces and I can tell when people are lying. And you are definitely lying." Loker continued causing the man's face to turn several different shades of red.

"So why don't you tell us the truth here and save us the trouble of hauling your ass downtown?" Ben made a move toward the man as if to carry through on his threat and the man held up his hands in protest.

"All right, all right. I may have wondered about some of their activities, but I didn't _know_ they were doing anything wrong. Nothing was confirmed." Miller caved eyeing Eli suspiciously.

"Well that's the truth." Eli responded staring Miller down. The man looked away, first at Ben, then realizing he would get no sympathy there he looked at the ground. "Look, they paid on time. Yes, they paid in cash, which is not common, and yes some other tenants raised questions, but no one had any proof and nothing concrete was ever brought forward. They were good tenants. The place was clean and well kept. Their advertisements brought in more clientele for them, which raised the interest in the building. Business was so good, the space was going for a premium. I even mentioned that to Agron and he was amenable to the increase."

"Agron? Agron Shehu?" Ben clarified. The man nodded confirming that the triplet was the one he had spoken to about the rental increase. "When did you have that conversation?" Ben hoped Miller would continue his train of honesty now that the man was scared of Eli's ability to read him.

"Well just earlier today actually. I stopped by to discuss the rental increase with Agron as their lease is up in a few months. He made time to see me even though I could tell they were clearly very busy. The lobby was full of file drawers and people were running around scrambling. They had things everywhere. I asked if he might need more storage space considering the state of their files, and he told me that they were downsizing their paper files and moving to electronic but that he'd consider their space requirements and let me know. He assured me that the increased rent would not be a problem."

Eli and Ben exchanged looks as Mr. Miller rattled on. It seemed a bit too convenient that the files were being converted to electronic versions the same day the building went up in flames.

"Then right before I left we were interrupted by that brother of his." One side of Mr. Miller's nose rose emphasizing his contempt. "He came in and was going on about something in Albanian as if I wasn't even there. Kept repeating something about 'femiya' and 'jetti'. No idea what it meant. I don't know how Agron and Faton deal with him. He's so brutish."

Eli pulled out his phone and typed in phonetically those two words to search for later. He saw Reynolds capture them as well before explaining to Mr. Miller that he needed to not leave town any time soon and that the FBI would be in touch if they had any more questions. The man looked a bit relieved at being allowed to leave.

Eli watched Reynolds lead the man back to the barricade as he mused on how the night had taken an interesting turn. He wondered how Wallowski and Torres were making out with the videos.

Ben walked back over to Eli. "There's an agent at the bureau that is fluent in Albanian. I'll put in a call and see if he can tell us what those two words mean." Before he could dial though his phone rang and he answered it. "Reynolds." After a moment his face morphed from stoic to pissed off. "What? They still haven't sent the file!" Ben transferred the phone to his other hand so he could use his right to wipe down his face in frustration. "Right. I'll call them _again_ and this time I'll make sure the video is sent before I get off the phone." He paused listening to whoever was on the other line. Eli assumed it was Torres or Wallowski. "Not much more we can do here tonight anyway. We'll wrap it up and meet you at the precinct."

Eli watched as Ben hung up the phone and immediately dialed another number. He had to bite back a laugh when he heard Ben's opener.

"So who wants to explain to me, why _I_ get a call while I'm knee deep in an arson investigation, informing _me_ that the video feed I requested _more than thirty minutes ago_ still hasn't been sent?"

* * *

Ria took one last look at the film of the witness before closing it down. She had gotten everything off of it that she could. Looking around at the items on the desk, nothing really stuck out at her. It was a stereotypical cop's desk: old, battered, and drowning in paperwork. The corner of a lone picture frame poked out above the massive stack of files. Ria fished it out and viewed the image. Wallowski was laughing in the photograph and had her arm pulled tightly around the shoulders of another woman whose head rested against the detective's neck as she hugged her back. The woman was quite striking, with a heart shaped face, high cheekbones and big blue eyes. Actually she kind of looked like…

Ria quickly replaced the photo and covered it back over with the files when she heard Wallowski's distinctive walk and bits of her voice drifting down the hall. Standing when the detective arrived, she gestured toward the computer. "Closed down the video. Didn't get anything else off of it. Any news from Ben?"

"Agent Reynolds seemed pretty pissed they hadn't sent the video yet. Said he'd get right on it." Wallowski sat down next to Ria and opened up her email to see if the file had arrived yet. "And apparently his call worked."

Opening the file, the two women watched as the interview unfolded.

 _A small boy was led into the interviewing room. He had a blanket wrapped around him and he was covered in soot and dirt. It was obvious he had been crying by the lines running down his cheeks._

Ria bit her lip and her nostrils flared. It was hard not to empathize with the kid. She had seen that look many times before in her childhood, the utter devastation of losing everything and everyone who was important to you. She felt her jaw tighten. Looking at the despair etched on the face of the little boy made her want to punch Agron Shehu in the face.

Wallowski looked over and caught Torres' face. "You ok?" She asked gently. Ria just nodded not looking at the detective, instead keeping her eyes on the film. Allowing Ria her reticence, Sharon turned her gaze back to the video; her concern for Torres still in the forefront of her mind.

 _Two agents sat down opposite the child and introduced themselves. The blonde woman spoke gently to the boy and brought him a soda._

" _Do you think you can tell us what happened?" she asked the poor kid._

 _To his credit, the boy sat up straighter in the chair and nodded his head. Taking a deep breath he began. "We had just finished eating dinner. We had tacos. They are mommy's favorite. Mommy was washing the dishes and Daddy was drying them. They let me go upstairs to play before bed time. I was practicing using my words with Michael…"_

" _Who's Michael?" The male agent interrupted. The boy startled and looked up at the agents panicked._

" _It's ok, you can tell us anything. It's perfectly fine." The woman responded reading the fear on the boy's face as his belief that he had done something wrong._

" _Mommy and daddy said not to tell anyone about Michael." The boy responded with fear and shame._

Ria sighed. The poor kid had just lost his parents yet there he was was still trying to obey them and honor their memory. Life just wasn't fair.

" _It's ok. I am sure they would understand that you need to tell us now." The woman comforted him. "You're doing so well. You're a very good boy."_

 _The kid bit his lip, but her soft voice and encouragement worked. "Michael's my friend. But only I can see him, so mommy and daddy were worried about me telling other people. They said they wouldn't understand."_

 _The male agent sat back obviously dismissing the kid's 'imaginary friend' as anything relevant. The woman, to her credit, reacted in the opposite manner. "I understand. Michael must be very special to you."_

 _The little boy sighed in relief and nodded. "Michael says you're a good person and it's ok to trust you."_

 _The female agent smiled back at him. "Well thank Michael for me."_

 _The boy gave her a half smile. "I don't have to do that for you. He can hear you."_

 _The woman nodded solemnly. "Oh ok, I didn't know."_

 _The boy nodded in confirmation then went back to his story. "When we were playing, Michael heard a noise outside the house. He told me that some bad men were coming. He said that I should tell my parents to get out of the house with me right now."_

 _The male agent's eyebrow raised in disbelief but the female just nodded for the boy to keep going._

" _I went downstairs and I told them we had to leave. Right now. I tried to get them to go, I really did. I kept telling them that the bad men were coming, but they told me that everything was fine and that they would protect me. They told me Michael was wrong. But Michael's never wrong. They told me to go back to my room."_

" _And did you go back?" she asked gently._

 _The little boy looked down and bit his lip, the shame evident on his face. He shook his head no._

" _Then where did you go?" the male agent chimed in._

 _The boy continued to look down at his hands. "Michael told me we had to get out of the house. He took me to the kitchen. But something happened outside so he told me to hide under the sink. There's a little curtain so no one could see me. Then there was a big crash and a lot of shouting. Some men ran past me and I kept my hand over my mouth so I wouldn't make any noise." The little boy covered his mouth as if to show the agents how he stayed quiet._

Out of the corner of her eye Ria saw Wallowski's face tighten. So she was affected by the kid too. Ria reached out and squeezed the detective's shoulder in a gesture of comfort before dropping her hand back to her lap and continuing to watch the film.

" _Then I heard them yelling at daddy. They wanted him to talk about someone called Kras Nicky." The male agent sat up at attention to the name and exchanged a brief glance with the woman. His excitement was evident._

" _They …" The little boy's lip began to tremble and tears ran down his face. "They … hurt my mom." He whispered shaking in his seat._

 _Even the male agent became noticeably uncomfortable. The female tilted her head to the side and asked him if he needed to take a break. Unbelievably the kid shook his head adamantly in the negative._

" _No, I can do this." He said before taking another big breath and continuing. "They hit her, a lot. Then they hit my daddy. Finally my daddy said something about a file at his office. Then things got quiet." The little boy stopped and wiped at his eyes. You could have heard a pin drop it was that quiet in the room. Both agents just sat there and let him take his time._

When he finally continued Ria thought her heart would break for this little child.

" _I could see a little into the room where they had my parents. The mean man told the others to hold them on the floor. Then he told my mommy and daddy to say goodbye. He took out a gun and he shot them here." The boy pointed to the back of his head and then held up two fingers. "This many times."_

" _I couldn't stop him. Michael told me that they would shoot me too. But I should have. I should have tried. I should have made mommy and daddy listen to Michael. I should have made them leave. I should have... It's all my fault." The kid's resolve finally broke and he shook as sobs wracked his little body._

 _The woman rounded the table and scooped him into her arms rocking him gently and kissing his head. "It's not your fault. None of this is your fault. We are going to get the men who did this to your parents. We will find them and they will be punished. It's not your fault. It's not. And there was nothing you could have done. Michael was right. They would have hurt you too. But you're safe here. You're safe and we will keep you safe. And we will get those men. By telling us all of this you are being so brave and you will help us find them and stop them from hurting anyone else. There was nothing you could have done to stop this." She whispered the words as she rocked the little boy until he cried it out of himself. Finally when his sobs slowed to a few choking hiccups, she got him some water and a wet cloth and wiped off his face._

They took a break for a bit before resuming the questioning. Neither Wallowski nor Torres moved as they watched the video and waited for it to resume.

 _The woman began the questioning again, "Do you think you can continue now and tell us what happened next?"_

 _The little boy nodded slowly. "The mean man walked out of the house through the front door. He said something in that weird language and the rest of the bad men left. I think they went upstairs or maybe into the basement." He shrugged his shoulders to emphasize that he didn't know where they went._

" _Michael told me it was time for me to be brave. He said I had to go through the dog door and then crawl under the fence to get to the side where Mr. Clark lives."_

" _A dog door. Do…Did…do you have a dog?" The male detective asked with a look on his face that said he was praying the kid answered no. How much more could the little man bear?_

" _No. Mommy said that we could get one for my birthday." The little boy looked away for a moment as a few tears ran down his face._

" _So Michael told you to go through the dog door?" The little boy nodded in answer to the woman's softly spoken question. "Then what happened?"_

 _The boy drew a trembling breath then responded. "Michael said I had to leave mommy and daddy there. That they couldn't come with me." The little boy's lip trembled but somehow he managed not to cry._

" _So that's what I did. I had to get on my belly to get out the dog door. Then I ran over to the bushes and crawled under them to get to the hole."_

" _What hole?" The male detective asked._

" _Mr. Clark has a big dog. His name is Morty. Morty dug a big hole under the fence. Daddy let me see it. He thought it was funny so he didn't fill it back up when mommy told him to. So I knew it was there. That's how I got under the fence. Mr. Clark doesn't have any bushes though so Michael told me to stay in the hole until the bad men left. He was worried they would see me. But they didn't see me." He sat up taller with those words, showing a little pride at not being spotted. "I could see them. Through the fence. There's a space." He held his fingers up an inch apart to show how much space was between the fence slats._

" _A big black limo-seen stopped in front of my house. The mean man walked over to it. An ugly man with a red line on his eye rolled down the window and talked to the mean man. He asked if 'they had been taken care of?' The mean man said yes. The ugly man said 'then take care of the ebby-dance.' The mean man nodded and the limo-seen drove away. One of the bad men came out of the house and the mean man told him to 'burn it all.' And that's when the bad men started to put stuff on our house. Michael told me to stay still even if it got hot. And it did. It got real hot. The bad men made a fire with our house. Then they got into their cars and they left." The little boy shook his head sadly._

" _I didn't move until I heard Mr. Clark behind me. He was yelling about the fire. I got up and ran over to him and hugged him. I was scared. He asked me about my mommy and daddy but I just shook my head. He told me to go inside. Then he came in and said he would call for help. I don't remember much after that. I think maybe I fell asleep." The little boy looked embarrassed at that confession._

" _You've done so well telling us what happened. Do you think if we showed you some photos you might be able to identify the bad men?" The woman's voice was soft and encouraging._

" _I only saw the mean man and the ugly man in the limo-seen." The boy shook his head sadly._

" _You mentioned they said Kras Nicky, could that have been Krasniqi?" The male agent asked and the boy shrugged and nodded the possibility. "Are any of these the men you saw?" The male agent asked and placed several photographs down in front of the boy._

 _The boy's face was nonplussed until the last image was laid down and then a look of terror crossed his features. Slowly and shakily he pointed his little finger at the last photograph laid down. "That's the ugly man in the limo-seen."_

" _Are you sure?" The male agent asked excitement evident in his voice even though he was trying to contain himself._

 _The little boy nodded and pointed at the scar on the eye of the man in the photograph. "That's the red line on his eye. He was in the limo-seen." Nodding the agent picked up the photos and left the room in excitement._

 _The female agent did not look excited. In fact, she looked terrified for the kid. She was watching him closely. "I'm really proud of you. You've done very well and have really helped us. We are going to do everything we can to get the bad men who did this to your parents."_

" _Michael says you're worried about me. That the bad men will want to come get me. But he says you're going to keep me safe." The little eyes looking up at her would have melted an iceberg._

 _She nodded. "I will do everything in my power to keep you safe Robert. I promise."_

* * *

"Why do all these bloody hallways look the same?" Lightman pulled her down yet another identical corridor. The sexual intensity and frustration were pouring off the man in waves. Her own passion was simmering a bit since its eruption moments ago. She could now watch him with amusement as he pulled her behind him desperately searching for his room.

Placing her hand on his arm, she attempted to steady him. "Cal?"

He paused and turned to look at her. She used the moment to her advantage, grabbing him by the collar and pulling him to her to kiss him deeply. Keeping the passion somewhat in check, she broke from the kiss slowly then rubbed her thumb up and down his cheek. "There's no rush love."

The kiss worked to a degree to ground him. But her use of his British diminutive further flustered him to the point where she outright laughed. "Never thought I'd see the day where I out-Lightmaned Lightman." She winked at him sending a stroke of electricity through his veins.

Linking her fingers in his, she led him to a side elevator he hadn't even seen in his rush to get them behind closed doors. After it opened allowing them entry, she pulled him against her before reaching around him to push the button for her floor. As the lift rose, she ran her free hand through his hair then tugged him down to kiss her.

The bing of the elevator announcing their arrival to her floor barely registered in his brain. It didn't matter that his back was to the now open door and he was blocking their exit. Sensing his inability to comprehend anything beyond their physical contact, she simply used her body to propel him backwards through the lift's doors.

But her brain must have short-circuited too as they didn't stop until he ran into a wall. Moaning into his mouth she disentangled herself from him and cast an indecent look over her shoulder as she proceeded to pull him down the hallway behind her. For the first time in his life he felt like a puppy. And he really didn't give a rat's ass about it either.

He about knocked her over when she turned suddenly stopping in front of a door. It could be any door for all he cared, as he melted his body to hers and pressed her up against it. His hands were freely roaming up and down her hips and waist and his tongue was tasting every sweet flavor her mouth could provide. He felt her shudder against him and almost didn't hear the beep acknowledging that she had managed to unlock the door. Any other time he might have been impressed that she had unlocked it so quickly despite having no visual of the locking device and only the use of her left hand, but his mind was otherwise occupied with her scent and her taste and the softness of her skin. The door opened toppling them inside. Barely managing to catch themselves before falling, they clung to each other in desperation and desire.

Cal kicked the door shut behind him and was pretty sure they knocked several things over in their frantic attempt to get to the bedroom without allowing any space to enter between their bodies. It would best be described as the free fall on a roller coaster. They couldn't let go and nothing could stop them.

* * *

"So did you find anything helpful in the video?" Ben asked coming into the room with Eli behind him. The smell of ash and smoke permeated the room when they entered.

Wallowski shook her head. "Nothing that links the cases."

"The kid is telling the truth though." Ria added "At least what he believes to be the truth. But Wallowski's right. Neither video was helpful in linking the murder and the arson."

"Our luck wasn't the best either; didn't spot an arsonist in the crowd. But we did have an interesting talk with the building's owner. It appears he was suspicious of the triplets and their shady business dealings. He also spoke to Agron earlier today and his brother said something in Albanian." Eli pulled out his phone and opened up the note he had took. "Something like 'famiyen' and 'djetur'."

"I put a call into the agency for a translation. Haven't heard back yet." Ben added holding up his phone for emphasis.

"Did you say 'famiyen'?" Ria asked and Eli nodded. "That sounds like what Wallowski's witness, Mrs. Sun had said she overheard the murder suspect say into his cell phone. She had said it sounded something like 'famia.' It sounds too close to be coincidental."

"Well we will know more when we get a translation." Ben huffed staring at his phone as if it would help expedite things.

All four were frustrated at the dead end they had seemed to hit. It was evident in their shrugged shoulders.

Ria took them all in. 'Think like Lightman,' she thought to herself furrowing her brow. 'What hadn't they looked for?' Unconsciously she began asking questions, "What could the link be between the Shehu triplets and the kid? I mean, the kid never named Agron or his brothers in the interview…"

As Ria trailed off, Wallowski's head turned to the side as she thought of something. "Wait. Ben you said your investigation didn't include the Shehu triplets at all." She looked to him for confirmation.

"That's right. The brothers were never implicated in any criminal activity before. Just monetary linkage through that company of theirs." Ben nodded watching her to see where she was going with the questioning.

"But the kid identified their boss." Wallowski began typing away at the keyboard. "The same boss who…" pulling up a file she confirmed the dots her brain had been connecting, "our now deceased informant was squealing on."

"But how are your informant and the kid connected?" Eli asked with a raised brow. "I mean in what circles does a kid with FBI agents as parents run into an informant? Where on earth would that happen?"

Ben and Sharon frowned in consternation at Eli's question, but Ria jumped up. "That's just it. Where indeed! Eli you're a genius."

"I am?" he quietly asked in surprise.

"Ben can you get us the footage of the kid before and after the questioning?" she asked excitedly.

Ben looked at her questioningly but thought better of pushing her for a rationale. So he shrugged a yes and made the call to his contact. They must have been still reeling from Ben's earlier reaming as almost instantly Wallowski's email pinged the arrival of a new message.

Ria leaned over the detective's shoulder in her excitement to see what was on the video. "Sharon can you bring up the file?"

Wallowski felt a warm flush in her stomach region at Ria's use of her first name. Ignoring it, she did as asked and pulled up the footage. "Here's the first file. This looks like the video of the kid being brought into the precinct. You can see they are trying to calm him down, get him a drink." Not much happened other than a cop sitting next to the kid and bringing him a cup. Then an officer approached and took the kid away, presumably to be interviewed.

Ria bit her lip. If her hunch was wrong… Well she had to hope it wasn't.

"Ok, now the second. This must be the video feed from after the interview." The detective on the screen led the boy back over to the row of chairs. He walked off leaving the kid sitting in a chair. A few moments went by and nothing happened. Ria had almost lost hope when a gasp from Wallowski made her turn and look at the detective.

Sharon's eyes locked with Ria and Torres smiled. A handcuffed man had been brought over to the row of seats and placed forcibly down by an officer at the other end of the row. The look on Wallowski's face confirmed it for Ria. "That's the informant isn't it?"

Sharon just nodded in amazement at Ria's discovery. Eli and Ben leaned in closer and watched the video now with avid interest. There was no sound to this recording, but they could tell the informant was addressing the kid who appeared to be giving shorter answers.

All of a sudden the kid reacted to something off screen. He pulled himself off of the chair and scrunched up underneath it as if trying to get away. The informant looked back and forth between the kid and whatever was off screen. The look on his face giving far too much away.

Wallowski paused the feed.

"That's fear and realization." Eli chimed in reading the man's facial cues.

"What's off camera?" Ria questioned Ben.

"Uh, I think I remember an old television on silent set up to give the people waiting something to watch." Ben looked up in concentration as he recalled what was in that corner of the room.

"Can you see if they have a different camera angle?" Eli asked now in his element.

"On it." Ben made the call and another ping verified delivery of the new file.

Wallowski pulled up the footage. Ben was right, the TV was just visible in the corner of the screen. They played back both videos side by side, paying close attention to the timing of the feed. Right when the boy became overwhelmed with fear a familiar face came on the television advertising for his company. It was Agron Shehu.


	6. For the Love of Gillian Foster

The Most Magical Place on Earth – Chapter 6: For the Love of Gillian Foster

* * *

Thank you all so much for the brilliant feedback and for continuing to follow this story. Thank you also for your patience. Glad to be able to post the next chapter: For the Love of Gillian Foster, aka "Danger in Disney" :)

I really loved hearing what you are enjoying about the story and that you are looking forward to updates. That really is a huge motivator. Thanks for the specific feedback. I was relieved to hear that the plot twist with Robert worked.

Please know that your suggestions and insights have helped me not only with my writing but also with the direction the story has taken. I've definitely tried to put more Cal/Gillian and Robert in this installment as requested. There is also a bit more excitement and the story has taken a mature turn so I've updated the rating.

Very special thank you to Tangledupandsideways for the beta review and constant encouragement. You are amazing!

Be warned – there is adult content in this chapter.

Hopefully this next chapter was worth the wait. Please keep the reviews coming! I can't wait to hear what you think.

* * *

I do not own Lie to Me, the characters, dialogue, or events in the episodes.

* * *

Before anyone could speak, Ben's phone rang. Answering it, "Reynolds," he paused before continuing. "Yes, we need a translation. Right. Sounded like 'femiya' and 'jetti'." Another pause. "Yeah that sounds like what he had heard."

There was a long pause. Ben looked up at them. Fear and anger prevalent on his face. "So if I'm hearing you right, the words in Albanian are most likely 'fëmijën' and 'gjetur,' which translates to 'kid' and 'found.'"

The energy in the room shifted as they wall went on high alert. This was not good news.

Ben looked specifically at Wallowski before ending the call. "If this is true and they found the kid, then I need to alert my agents that they are all in trouble." As he was speaking, Ben was dialing a number. He waited for the line to pick up, before slamming the phone down against his side in frustration. "Dammit. Why isn't he answering?"

Picking the phone back up, he scrolled through his contacts looking for the number for the Orlando office. Clicking the right one, he held the phone to his ear waiting impatiently for an answer.

Ria, Eli, and Sharon listened to the one sided conversation as Ben explained his credentials and demanded to speak with his agency contact. They exchanged nervous glances as they registered the growing concern on Ben's face and heard him demand, "What do you mean he is missing?"

Ben paused as he listened to the answer. "Why wasn't I notified sooner? Who is in charge of the investigation?"

Another pause. "Fine, then I need to speak to this Agent Prefti."

Rage flared on Ben's face. "Yes, Now! My field agents are at risk here and you're asking me stupid questions?! Get me Prefti NOW!"

Exchanging another concerned look with Ria, Eli motioned toward the door with his head, non-verbally telling her that perhaps it would be in everyone's best interest if they stepped out. Ria gave a small shake of her head no, but Eli turned anyway as if to leave.

"Where do you think you're going? Uh uh. I need you. All three of you." Ben emphasized pointing to them each in turn. "If these triplets really believe they are going after _my_ agents then we are going to do everything in our damn power to make sure that never happens!" Ben's glare conveyed his message perfectly. No one moved.

Turning back to the phone he answered, "Yes. Agent Prefti? This is Agent Reynolds. The missing Agent in question was the contact supporting my Agents in the field. I have reason to believe that their cover may have been compromised."

Ben listened to the other side of the conversation before responding again. "Agents Darcy and Brian Carter. They are under cover with their daughter Ava and a child witness, Robert Childress. He was the son of two Agents we lost in the field."

Ben paused listening. "Yes, the Albanian boys."

Another pause. This one much longer.

"Foster? Gillian Foster?" Ben demanded incredulously.

Eli and Ria exchanged worried looks. Their faces conveyed the same question. How had Foster gotten involved in this?

The tension in the room rose as they all waited for clarification.

Ben was listening intently. Finally, he spoke again, eerily calmly. "So you have reason to believe their cover is blown? Have you been able to contact them in the field?"

Another pause, much shorter. "Understood. My team and I will be in Orlando in three hours. We'll meet you at the hotel. You can reach me at this number if anything changes."

Ben hung up the phone not bothering to wait on a response. Turning to the others he ran a hand over his head with pent up frustration.

"They got to our Agent. Prefti isn't sure how but the man's completely vanished. His car was found with the keys still in the ignition and a few drops of blood on the pavement next to the driver's side door. Looking through his phone records it appears he made call to a burner phone in the D.C. area shortly before he went missing. The call was made after he received a text inquiry from Agent Darcy Carter."

Ben paused and looked at Ria and Eli. "She was asking him to do a background check and evaluation of Dr. Gillian Foster as a potential placement for Robert Childress after he testified."

"But Foster? How…?" Eli looked questioningly at Ben, unsure of how Gillian had gotten wrapped up in this investigation.

Ria appeared just as confused. "Foster's at Disney World with Lightman. They haven't even been involved in this case." Ria paused as a look of suspicion flashed across her face. Turning to Wallowski she asked, "Have they?"

Sharon shook her head in the negative. "No, I haven't heard anything from Lightman since he left with Emily." Realizing that Ria was still eyeing her skeptically, she frowned and held the younger woman's gaze. "I would have told you if he contacted me."

Ria finally broke eye contact, looking property chastised. Reading Wallowski's face, she realized that the detective hadn't lied to her, but more than that she had seen how Ria's distrust had upset the detective. Sharon was visibly hurt. Ria wasn't sure how to handle that; luckily Ben interrupted any attempt at an apology she might have made.

"Wait, Emily's there too?" Ben growled. Ria and Eli nodded. "Shit! Lightman's going to lose his mind."

"We need to get in contact with him and Foster." Ria confirmed. "We need to warn them."

"That's not gonna work." Eli responded glumly. They all looked at him questioningly. He sighed. "Foster left her phone so we can't call her and Lightman's phone's been off since he left the office."

"How do you know that?" Ria demanded.

"I … er … may have tried to call him… once or twice." Eli shrugged.

"Really Eli?" Ria rolled her eyes at him.

Eli ran his hand through his hair in embarrassment. "We could try to get to them through the hotel?" He offered in appeasement.

"Agent Prefti has a surveillance team heading over to the hotel now. They are going to attempt to make contact with our undercover Agents there. They will secure the assistance of the hotel. As far as Lightman and Foster though…," Ben sighed. "Look, let's not scare them until we are sure what we are dealing with. As of right now we are not positive that my Agents' cover has been blown. We don't even know how Lightman and Foster are involved. And the last thing we need is to have Lightman go off. So unless there is a reason, we wait for now."

Ben paused looking thoughtfully. "Is there a reason? Have any of you told anyone about Gillian's location?" Ben demanded. "Did you say anything to the Shehus?"

"No." Ria said as she thought back over their conversations with the triplets. She could tell by Eli's face he was doing the same. "No." She said again more firmly. "I don't remember saying anything about Lightman or Foster."

Sharon and Eli shook their heads in the negative, confirming what Ria had said.

"It never came up in the interview." Sharon recounted in agreement.

"Well there's one positive in this fucked up situation." Ben again ran his hand over his head before sighing. "Ok. You all have exactly no time to run home, grab a bag, and get to the airport. We're taking the FBI's plane to Orlando."

"All of us?" Eli asked in surprise.

"Yes, all of you. I need you to debrief me on the plane. Anything you know about these triplets could be important. We are going to stop them before they hurt anyone else. Understand?" He looked at each of them until they nodded one by one. "Good."

* * *

Cal's gaze was locked on Gillian's beautiful blue eyes as she closed the door in front of him. Never in his life had he felt so content and confident. A huge smile broke out on his face and briefly he wondered if Gillian was watching him smile like an idiot from the peep hole. He winked at it, just in case, before shaking himself out of his euphoria.

He looked up and down the halls, realizing that he had no idea where to go. Shaking his head at himself he checked Gillian's room number, then did a double take. Wasn't his room number…? Had he remembered incorrectly?

His eyebrows crinkled up in confusion and a memory from earlier flashed through his mind. The French girl at the counter had appeared amused when she found a room for him and Em. Looking again at Gil's room number he found himself laughing too. The irony was a bit much.

Sure enough, when he looked down the hall he spotted his own room, one door down.

Smirking, he pictured the look on Emily's face when she discovered Gillian had been next door the whole time. 'Wonder how that will fit into her theory?' he thought as he used the key card to open his door.

Moving through the kitchen and living room, he entered his own room. Taking one look at his bed flashes of last night ran through his mind. Her soft breath in his ear, the smell of her hair, the rapid beating of their hearts…

Running a hand down his face, he realized he wouldn't be getting any more sleep and was in desperate need of a cold shower. Dropping his clothes, he entered the bathroom and turned on the taps. Brushing his teeth, he looked in the mirror and realized his eyes were smiling.

'God, Em will have a field day with me.' His usual mask was absent and he felt like nothing could bring him down from this high.

Stepping into the shower he felt the icy blast of the water. Paradoxically, it both woke him up and calmed him down. It didn't take him long to run the shampoo through his hair and the soap over his body. Stepping out, he heard the shower in Em's room turn on. By the time he finished getting dressed and groomed, he could hear her doing the same.

Deciding to make coffee, more for his daughter's sake than his own, he went into the little kitchenette. Going through the routine of loading up the maker, he attempted to school his features. Normally so easy for him, he was finding it ridiculously difficult to mask his happiness. Even more astonishingly, he didn't seem to care.

Emily trudged into the room grunting something that sounded like 'morning' before reaching for the cup of coffee he handed her. He had already added her sugar and cream. Normally, she would have balked at his doing so without the obligatory teasing, but her overly tired demeanor allowed him a temporary reprieve. Taking a large swig of caffeine she sighed happily and rubbed her eyes.

"Alright luv?" He asked hiding his idiotic grin behind his own cup. Normally he hated the stuff but figured he would need the caffeine after barely sleeping at all the night before. Not that he was complaining, the complete opposite actually.

"Ugh." She grunted before yawning deeply. "Did you not hear the neighbors last night? I mean really! They were knocking things over and making such a racket. I barely slept. Had to throw my ear buds in and sleep with my music on."

Cal sputtered and coughed as he choked on his coffee. It took him a minute to compose himself. Luckily the coughing bout explained the blush in his cheeks.

Emily watched him, her eyes narrowing slightly. She still wasn't fully caffeinated but Cal could tell she was coming around and already getting suspicious.

"Somehow I missed that." Cal took another slower sip from his cup.

They drank their coffee in silence.

Cal got lost in thoughts of last night before realizing where his mind had gone. Glancing up he spotted his daughter watching him closely. He must have inadvertently flashed her something because he noticed her eyes widen. Before she could call him on anything, he deflected. "Fancy some nosh darling?"

"Mmmmm," Emily nodded, "Let me just grab my bag." Slipping out of the chair she eyed him again before disappearing into her room.

Cal used the opportunity to turn his back to his daughter and attempt to compose himself. As he rinsed the now empty cups in the sink, he thought about what his daughter had said about last night. He had forgotten that Emily's room shared a wall with Gillian's abode. Blushing, he tried not to think about what Emily would say when she figured out who had in fact made all that racket.

"Ready dad?" Her voice made him jump a little.

"Oh, right luv." Following behind her as she left the room and walked down the hallway, he caught himself gazing longingly at the room next door.

* * *

Gillian's heart fluttered as Cal locked eyes with her. When the door closed, breaking their gaze, she sighed dropping against it. She willed her hand to let go of the door handle, so tempted to reopen it and rush back into his arms. 'How did we get here?' she wondered at both the suddenness and inevitability of it all. Looking at the peephole, she giggled at herself, then shook her head. He would probably wink at her if she peered through it after him.

Pulling herself away from the door, she laid down on her bed and cuddled his pillow burying her face in it. She could smell him everywhere.

Thinking back on last night she felt herself blush. It had always been a given that he would be good in bed; the long line of women pretty much guaranteed that. What had surprised her was his gentleness. She hadn't expected that from him.

As she lay there lost in his scent, she tried closing her eyes to see if she could get any more sleep, but it was to no avail. Each time her eyes shut, images of their love making would replay in her brain, causing her pulse to quicken and her breathing to become labored. Conceding there was no chance of a nap, she headed for the shower.

Dropping the robe she had put on earlier for modesty, she spotted her reflection in the full length mirror. Small love bites decorated various parts of her skin, sending a shuddering reminder through her core. Luckily they would mostly be covered by her clothing, but it barely concerned her as her mind drifted to memories of his mouth making those marks.

Turning from the mirror, she hopped into the shower and let the water blast her with its frigidity, not bothering to let it warm up first. The chill that went up her spine helped to finally slow her rapid heartbeat.

Gillian had woken up surprised that she was still so aroused. After the evening's activities, she really should have woken up spent not ignited with desire. Perhaps that was what brought all of those women back again.

It had always been a deep set fear of hers, becoming another in a long list of Lightman's exploits, but for some reason it didn't bother her as much as she'd thought it would. Nothing with Cal had been what she'd expected.

Stepping out of the shower and drying herself off, she sat down on her bed. Last night had been amazing. They had connected so deeply it had left her with a feeling of shared confidence in their decision. Then this morning he had surprised her even more with his words.

She leant back on the pillows in the bed, enveloped once again in his scent, and drifted back to that moment.

* * *

Moonlight cast the room in blue and gray hues, creating a hazy and peaceful atmosphere. Their heart beats were slowing down and their breaths becoming more measured as their frantic passion turned into mellow euphoria.

Running the back of his fingers slowly down Gillian's jaw line, Cal felt more than saw her smile. The soft skin of her back pressed against his chest reminded him that there really was nothing left between them. His hand left her chin, continuing a path down the length of her neck and onward. His administrations elicited a sharp intake of breath before she purred out his name. "Cal…"

"Aye darling?" he whispered into her ear causing her to shudder against him.

Turning to him, the light offered him the briefest glimpse of her smirk before she buried her face against his neck. "S'pose I should have known you'd have so much stamina." At least that's what he assumed he heard as the sound was muffled by her mouth doing scandalous things to his skin.

"You bring out the best in me luv." He wondered if he'd ever stop smiling. In the morning, no doubt, Em would take the piss off him for his cheesy grin. The thought made him smile wider.

Gillian must have sensed his train of thought or felt his smile widen because she pulled back grinning herself. "Liar." She teased, giggling as he pulled her lower half even closer to him. She tilted her head, watching his eyes as she traced his grin with her fingertips.

Growling, he pulled her into a deep kiss. "It's true luv" he whispered into her ear as his fingers trailed down her abdomen. "From the first moment I met you, I've wanted to be a better person." Her sharp inhale filled his brain. He figured it was partly because of his words but mostly due to his fingers gently brushing against her swollen clitoris. He felt himself swell even more in response. "I didn't realize it then Gil, but I knew right off you were special. Felt a pull toward you I couldn't explain or understand really." He emphasized his meaning by sliding two of his fingers gently into her and curling them up against her insides. The high pitched moan he elicited was ample reward and he knew he couldn't wait much longer to enter her again. They were both more than ready.

"You understand me more than anyone else ever has and you've been there for me through … well everything." A few more strained moans and he slipped his fingers out before positioning himself at her entrance. "I trust you Gillian." With those words he thrust into her causing her to call out his name and clasp down on his shoulders. She was so close already and he wasn't far behind her.

"There is something I should have said a long time ago," He continued to carry her toward the edge, rocketing in and out. He had meant what he said about her bringing out the best in him. He'd not had this kind of stamina since he was a teenager. But everything about Gillian was different. Every part of him was screaming for her, screaming for release from all that he had been holding back. He felt her shudder and start to clamp down on him.

Pulling out he prepared himself to take them both over the edge. "Look at me Gil," only when she pulled her head back down and forced her eyes open and locked with his did he continue.

"I love you."

He saw the shock register in her eyes only briefly followed by a reflection of everything he felt for her. Fireworks.

His words were the release they both needed. He entered her again hitting that perfect spot; causing her to cry out his name as she came hard. When she clamped down on him he felt his own release. They rode it down together; collapsing in a limp heap. Their skin melted into cellophane, a cling that brought warmth and comfort.

As their hearts and breathing once again slowed, he felt her gently brush the hair off his forehead. He blinked a few times before focusing on her beautiful smile.

"I love you Gil." He said smiling back at her. A warmth spread through him when her eyes light up once again.

Fireworks.

* * *

"Dad?"

"Dad?" Em repeated a little louder.

"Dad!" She smacked his arm watching as he jumped. He had been lost in thought.

"What?" He asked her confused, having been pulled out of a memory from last night. Had he really told Gillian that he loved her? Shaking his head he realized his teenage daughter had her eyebrows raised and was gesturing with her head toward the open booth and the waiting waiter. "Oh, right luv."

Cal slid into the booth as Emily flopped down next to him giving him a look that he had lost it. In a way she was right. The waiter left them with menus as he took their drink orders.

"Coffee, please." Em pleaded with him. Cal requested a hot cup'a. He snuck a glance at Emily as he read over the breakfast options. She was too immersed in the menu to catch much. He knew that would change as soon as the caffeine kicked in. He really needed to come back to the present, as hard as that was.

Deciding to jump in, mostly because he was impatient, he started sending her signals. "So," he snuck another sideways glance at his daughter, "I know you didn't get much sleep last night, but did you have a nice talk with your friend? Samantha was it?"

"Yeah, we chatted for a bit. The bath was great." Emily responded not looking up from her menu. Her eyes settled on something and with an almost imperceptible nod acknowledging her food choice was made, she set the menu down and actually looked at her father. "She agrees with me by the way."

"Oh?" Cal asked nonchalantly. "About what exactly?"

"That you should wait to talk to Gillian; give her space." The waiter set their drinks down before taking their food order. Cal handed him their menus.

Emily was busy dumping a ridiculous, in his opinion, amount of sugar into her cup. 'So much like Gil,' he thought, smiling at the idea. The thought propelled him forward with his admission; no time like the present. "Not sure that's an option now luv."

"Hmmmm?" Emily was only half listening as she perfected her sugary caffeinated concoction. "What's not an option?"

"Avoiding Gillian."

"What… why not?" Emily looked up at him her eyebrows crinkling together in confusion and consternation.

"Cause I ran into her last night luv."

"WHAT!?" Emily screamed and almost jumped across the table at him, grabbing his shirt and shaking him a bit.

"Oy!" Cal responded, as his tea spilled onto the table. People at the other tables were glancing over at them. He guessed he should have anticipated such excitement from his daughter. It pleased him more than he'd like to admit, but her volume, on the other hand, was bordering on the ridiculous.

"Ease up Em." Cal gestured toward her hands gripping his shirt and then gesturing with his eyes towards the onlookers.

"Right… right." Emily smoothed out his shirt with her palms then turning to their audience smirked and shrugged her shoulders at them. Most eyed their table warily but turned back to their own affairs.

Emily looked back at her father, "Don't think you're off the hook. I want to hear everything!" She kept her tone lower but she emphasized 'everything' as she leaned forward.

He knew that was off the table. There was no way he was telling her 'everything' about last night. So where to begin?

"Well you know I popped downstairs to have a drink." He figured he'd start at the beginning; that at least was safe. She nodded, intently listening to every word he said. "There was this fellow there, some Irish bloke, he started telling me about this poem right? And he started reciting this verse from a poem; something about autumn and dark hair and a road…"

"Why do I care about some Irish poet at the bar dad? I want to hear about Gillian!" Her hands were now across the table shaking his arm as she tried very hard not to scream at him.

"Right luv. I'm getting to that." Cal gave her a look and took back his arm.

Properly chastened, she sat further back in the booth, but her fingers betrayed her feigned nonchalance as they gripped the edge of the table in barely contained excitement.

"So this bloke…" Noticing her flared nostrils and the fire in her eyes, he held up his hand to calm the beast. "He got me thinking luv. Wanted to know about Gil. I told him how special she is and always has been. I just went on and on. Then he called me out. He asked me, point blank, what I was waiting for."

Emily saw the change in her father's face and her demeanor softened. "And what did you say?"

"Nothing. Em. Abso-bloody-lutely nothing." Cal smiled at her and she returned it with a huge grin. "I finally realized that there was nothing stopping me."

"That's so sweet dad." Emily's face tilted to the side and Cal could tell she was romanticizing the story a bit, but even he couldn't blame her. "And when did Gillian come to the bar?"

"She didn't." Emily's eyes showed momentary confusion so he continued. "I left the bar to go find her. Not really expecting to mind you but I just got up and went to look anyway."

Emily sighed at the romantic gesture, captivated by her father's story. "And you did?"

It was less of a question and more of a statement as he'd already told her he had, still he nodded in agreement.

"Yeah luv, I did. I took the lift up to the lobby and as I was getting off I spotted her walking outside." Cal took a big drink of tea before continuing.

He eyed Em seriously. "I've been scared a lot in my life Em. Seeing Gil, knowing it was time to tell her, well … it was bloody frightening it was. But… I wanted to tell her. It was more than the fear, that desire to finally tell her. I know we, you and me, had talked about waiting. You know right time and that. But somewhere in my… well … I just knew that if I didn't do it right then, right in that moment, then I'd chicken out."

Cal looked up at his daughter, the guilt of his admission apparent on his face. Never had he thought he'd be admitting to her that he was a chicken. But she sat there on the edge of her seat smiling at him as if it was perfectly fine. Inwardly he was relieved that his little girl didn't think any less of him.

"So I followed her outside. She was sitting by the fire…" Cal's eyes went off to the side as he remembered how she had looked curled up on the chair. "She looked so frail and so beautiful…" Cal's voice trailed off before he realized what he had just told his daughter.

Emily gave a cheeky grin at his blush. Before she could tease him, he jumped back into the story. "And cold. Very cold. So I offered her my jacket."

"Awwwww." Emily sighed at her father's chivalry.

"Then we talked." Cal shook his head, "Actually, I mostly talked. She listened."

Emily nodded for him to continue but Cal found he couldn't. There was so much that had happened, so much they had exchanged. And then there was what had followed. He definitely couldn't say any of that. He sat there trying to grab onto something he could tell her. His mind going in circles, he found he was getting nowhere quickly, until Emily beat him to the punch.

She asked him "Did you tell her?"

"Tell her what luv?" Cal asked confused, as his mind was still grappling with what to reveal.

Sighing loudly and rolling her eyes, "Dad, seriously? Did you tell her you love her?"

Her exasperation was evident, but it triggered in him a memory. One he could partially share.

"Yes. Yes luv. I did." He gasped out the words as if he still couldn't believe them.

The beaming smile he was met with was enough for him to realize he had in fact done the right thing. He had told Gillian Foster that he loved her and both Gillian and his daughter had responded with that same big beautiful honest smile. Cal realized he was also breaking into a huge smile in response to his daughter's reaction. Happiness swelled inside him and led him to say it again, only this time louder and more confidently.

"I did. I told Gillian Foster I love her."

From out of a nowhere a small boy's voice responded inquiringly. "You love Gillian Foster?"

* * *

Ben downed the last of yet another cup of hotel coffee in an attempt to stave off the lack of sleep from the night before. The plane flight to Orlando had been spent in conversation with Eli, Ria and Sharon as they caught him up on what they knew about the Shehu triplets and little Robert.

Ben hated that a kid was involved. He took his anger out on the now empty cup in his hand, crumpling it in his fist before tossing it into the trash can. Once again he looked at his watch. Where were they?

Earlier he had sent out a small team of plain clothed Agents in hopes that they could safely contact and bring in his undercover Agents. They had been gone far longer than Ben liked and they had yet to return.

Ben continued to pace back and forth in front of the small coffee station the hotel had set up next to the office's door. Agent Prefti had managed to garner the cooperation of the hotel and secured them a small office to use for surveillance. Unfortunately, it was the only space the hotel had available and it was small. The room barely housed them all. In one corner computers and surveillance equipment had been set up on a desk barely big enough to handle all the weight. The chairs placed around the desk were currently occupied by agents attempting to garner intel. A love seat had been brought into the room and placed against the far wall in the hopes that the agents could use it to sleep in shifts.

Glancing around, Ben took inventory of his team. Eli had joined forces with Prefti's tech guys. He was at that very moment tapping into the hotel security cameras. Ben didn't even want to know if he had the necessary permissions for what he was doing.

Shaking his head, he glanced over at Wallowski and Torrez. Sleep had finally caught up with them. Sharon was out cold sitting up on one end of the small love seat. Ria must have tried to do the same but at some point had fallen over. She was now sound asleep with her head on Wallowski's lap. Sharon's arm, Ben realized, was draped protectively over the sleeping Torrez.

He averted his gaze. Yet something else he didn't want to think about.

Running his hands down his face with pent up frustration at not being able to _do something_ , Ben decided another cup of coffee couldn't really do any more to harm his already frazzled nerves. At least it was a distraction from waiting.

He checked his watch again. If they weren't back in the next ten minutes he was going after them.

* * *

Emily and Cal looked up at the interruption. A little tow headed boy with curly hair and a smattering of freckles on his nose was staring down at them. It was apparent he had stood up on the other side of Cal's booth in order to peer over and ask his question. He was staring suspiciously at Cal.

"I'm sorry?" Cal asked looking up at the boy curious as to both the child's demeanor and question.

"You said you love Gillian Foster. Do you?" He asked again waiting expectantly for a reply as if this was a perfectly normal thing to ask.

Cal glanced over at his daughter and saw that her mouth was hanging open in astonishment. Apparently she was just as surprised by the tyke as he was. Looking closer at the kid, he noticed things others would miss. While the boy's eyes appeared wide open in innocence, there was tension at their edges. In addition to the suspiciousness evident on his face, the boy appeared nervous and almost desperate.

"Yeah. Yeah buddy I do." Cal nodded solemnly to the kid. That seemed to do the trick as the young boy exhaled the breath he had been holding and nodded at Cal. Cal didn't let it go there though, asking a question himself. "You know Gillian?"

"Oh yes." He nodded quite assuredly. "She's my friend."

"Is she now?" Cal wondered at this.

"Yup." Having satisfied himself of Cal's intentions, the young man jumped down from the booth and walked around to stand in front of their table. He eyed Emily warily. "Are you Gillian's friend too?" He asked her.

"Oh most definitely." Emily smiled reassuringly at him. "Do you want to sit down?" She asked moving further into the booth despite the look her father shot her.

"No thank you." He replied. "We already ate breakfast, but I asked to stay a little longer to finish my puzzle." Proudly, he raised one of those paper place mats they give to kids at restaurants to help them stay entertained during the meal. "Is Gillian going to eat breakfast with you?"

"I don't know." Emily responded before looking at her father with a big shit eating grin on her face. "Is Gillian going to eat breakfast with us dad?"

Cal shot her a look before shaking his head in the negative. "No, not today."

The kid's face registered sadness as he responded simply, "Oh."

Cal could tell he would have liked to have seen Gillian. The boy looked toward the door to the restaurant and then kicked his toes on the floor. It seemed something in that direction was bothering him. Cal was a bit concerned by what he was reading on the kid, so he asked him, "You alright mate?"

The boy bit his lip and appeared to be thinking something over. He must have decided, because he asked Cal yet another question that surprised him.

"You said you love Gillian. Do you trust her, no matter what?"

Both Emily and Cal exchanged surprised and worried glances. Cal focused more intently on reading the little boy's face. The kid was deadly serious. The question was obviously very important to him.

Cal paused. The expression on his little face was something normally only worn by older people. People worn out by life. Those who wanted to be optimistic and believe that something good could happen but were not sure they could handle another blow if things went wrong. It was an expression he remembered from his own childhood; one that should never be seen on a child's face.

No wonder Gillian had befriended this kid. It was almost like looking at a younger version of himself.

Cal couldn't bear to hurt this kid any further. So he answered honestly. "I trust her, no matter what."

The little boy watched Cal closely as he answered. Choosing to believe what Cal said, he nodded in agreement, a single tear rolling down the side of his face.

"Did … did someone not trust you?" he asked gently. This wasn't his area of expertise but it appeared to be the right question to ask.

"No. They didn't. It was really important. The most important thing. But they didn't believe me. They didn't trust me. They loved me, but that's different." The kid looked so small as he said those words. He was staring hard at the table in an obvious effort not to cry.

Emily reached out her hand and placed it on the little boy's shoulder. Her voice was gentle as she told him, "We trust you. You're a friend of Gillian's so that means you're our friend too. And we trust our friends. So we trust you. Promise." She crossed her heart for emphasis as the kid looked up at her wide eyed.

'God she's so much like Gillian; it's almost scary.' Cal thought to himself.

The kid then looked at Cal with those big eyes filled with determination. "You trust me?" He directed the question to Cal. "You promise?" He demanded. "You promise, _no matter what_ , you trust me?"

Cal felt the weight of the question in his gut. This wasn't a simple child's request for a promise. Everything in this boy's demeanor stressed the importance of his answer. He couldn't ever let this kid down. Cal read the determination on the kid's face and decided how to respond. Slowly he nodded. "I promise. I trust you."

"No matter what?"

"No matter what."

The boy surprised Cal yet again by enveloping his midsection in a tight hug. The kid was stronger than he appeared. Looking over the kid's head, Cal caught Emily's gaze. She was just as concerned as he was. Who was this kid?

"Thank you Gillian's friend." The kid smiled up at him as he stepped back, disentangling himself from Cal.

"Actually it's Cal." Gesturing toward his daughter, he continued. "And that's Emily, my daughter."

The kid caught the gist and introduced himself, "I'm Robert."

* * *

No sooner had Ben put the cup of coffee to his mouth, when the door to the office opened and in stepped Agent Prefti. He and his team had returned. "Finally," Ben mumbled under his breath.

Turning towards the door, Ben heard his name before he saw the familiar face. "Agent Reynolds?"

Darcy Carter's face was a welcome relief. She entered behind Prefti pushing a small child in a stroller. Brian Carter's face could be seen over her shoulder as he trailed behind her into the room.

"Agent Carter. Agent Carter." He acknowledged them both. "Man am I glad to see you both." Ben put the cup down extending his hand to each as they entered the room.

One of the field Agents under Prefti entered the room behind the Carters, informing Ben, "We were able to intercept Agents Carter and Carter while they were on route to their hotel room. We brought them directly here." He then turned and closed the door.

Ben was confused. He glanced around the room searching for Robert. Surely, he had missed the kid. But the only child present was the one sleeping in the stroller. The hair on the back of Ben's neck stood up.

"Where's Robert?" He asked, already knowing he wouldn't like the answer.

"We don't know." Darcy whispered, her voice cracking with fear.

* * *

"I like Cal and Emily," Robert declared to Michael as they left the restaurant and headed for the elevator. "And I believe him. He promised. He _trusts_ me."

As they rode up to his floor, Robert was feeling pretty good about himself, despite the general unease of the morning. Michael had been pretty distracted, which was never a good sign. That had worried Robert too. Which meant Robert was more distracted and less responsive than Darcy and Brian liked.

Then Ava had a meltdown at breakfast. Darcy said Ava was 'ready to go.' But Robert hadn't finished his puzzle. So he had begged to stay to finish it. He promised Brian and Darcy that he would come right up to the room after he was done.

Robert could tell that they were gonna say no. He was per-sep-tiff after all. Plus their faces said so.

But then the waiter said that he'd 'keep an eye on Robert'. Robert liked him a lot and gave him a big smile when Darcy and Brian agreed.

Robert knew that having him and Ava was not easy for Brian and Darcy. He remembered when Darcy first brought him to her house, Brian had seemed mad. Robert didn't know what he had done. Then when they thought he was asleep, he heard them fighting. He felt so bad that he made them fight that the next morning at the breakfast table he told them he was leaving.

"But why Robert? Did something happen?" Darcy had asked.

She and Brian had been surprised. Robert could tell by their faces.

"I don't want you two to fight because of me." Robert said. "I'm sorry. Whatever I did Brian. I'm sorry. I'll leave. It's ok."

Brian had stood up and walked over to Robert. "Hey … buddy. Look. It's not your fault. None of this is." Brian reached out a hand and ruffled Robert's hair. "And you don't have to leave. In fact…" He looked over at Darcy and she nodded. "We are all going to go on… an adventure."

"Living out of our suitcases." Brian had called it.

Robert never really understood that. He couldn't fit in his suitcase, how could he live in there?

What it had really meant was that they would stay in a lot of hotels.

Until one night, when they were eating pizza in yet another hotel room, Darcy told them she had news. "We're going to go stay at a hotel in Disney World."

Ava had screamed. But it was because there was a pepperoni on her slice and she was mad. Robert remembered being excited. Brian had looked surprised.

"It's all arranged." She had smiled then nodded at Brian. "They've taken care of it."

Robert never knew who 'they' were but 'they' often took care of things like hotels and food and clothes.

At first Robert thought that he, Darcy, Brian, and Ava would be staying with Mickey Mouse, but Darcy explained that Mickey was at a 'park' and that the hotel was not at the 'park' but somewhere else. She promised that maybe they could go to the 'park' one day and see Mickey.

As Robert stepped off the elevator onto his floor, he thought about how today was supposed to be the day they went to the 'park,' but for some reason, he still didn't understand, Brian and Darcy had said they couldn't go. Something about 'them' not calling to clear it. Robert wasn't sure he ever wanted to meet 'them.' 'They' seemed kind of bossy and mean sometimes.

Robert walked down the many hallways towards his room, thinking about Darcy, Brian and Ava. They were nice to him. Darcy promised to protect him. Brian said he didn't have to leave. Ava didn't seem to care as long as he didn't have something she wanted. If he did, then boy did she yell.

"I like Darcy, Brian, and Ava." He told Michael. "I do. They are very nice. But…" He trailed off, lost in thought. While he liked being with Darcy, Brian, and Ava, he often felt like he didn't belong. It was a feeling he didn't like much.

"I don't belong with them." He whispered, amazed that he had finally been able to explain to Michael how he really felt. "Do you think I feel that way because my parents are in heaven?"

Robert knew the word orphan. But he hated that word. He wasn't an orphan. He still had parents. They would always be his parents. Even if they weren't here anymore.

"If I don't have parents," Robert continued to open up to Michael, "then who will love me after I tell the court my story? Darcy never said…" Robert stopped in the hallway frowning.

Before Darcy had brought him to her home, she had told him that he had to help her. She said that he had to tell his story to the court so the ugly man, the mean man, and the bad men would go to jail. Until the court was ready to hear Robert's story, he would stay with her, Brian, and Ava. She promised to keep him safe.

But she never talked about what would happen after he told the court his story. And he hadn't asked. He was scared of the answer.

So he tried not to think about it too much. But yesterday something changed.

Robert smiled and began walking again as he thought about Gillian.

"Remember when we saw the pretty lady with the freckles. That was Gillian. But I didn't know her name then." He reminded Michael. "I told you she glowed, and you said she was im-pore-tent." Robert ran his hand along the wall as he continued forward. "She is, you know, she is im-pore-tent."

Robert remembered the conversations he had with Gillian and how she taught him new words like Mommy and Daddy used to do. "She called me inquisitor," he told Michael proudly. "And she sat with me on the bus. Both ways."

Robert smiled as he thought of Gillian. "I like her Michael. I like her a lot." He paused, biting his lower lip. "Do you think she might … well maybe she might… want me to…" A noise down the next hallway made him pause in his questioning.

Michael told him not to, but Robert's curiosity got the best of him and he tiptoed to the end of the hall and peered around the corner. Standing outside of their room, was a face Robert would never forget. It was the mean man. He was yelling at some bad men who were in their room.

Michael was now saying it was too dangerous and that Robert needed to leave right now.

Robert didn't need to be told twice. But before he could duck back around the corner, the mean man spotted him.

Robert turned and ran.

* * *

"Are you sure we should have let him go off like that Dad?" Emily looked with worry back over her shoulder. The kid had taken off shortly after their food had arrived and ever since Em had been questioning his decision to not investigate further. "He just seemed so…"

"He'll be alright luv. Obviously, he has family somewhere here." Draping an arm over her shoulders he tugged her into his chest in a half hug. "Besides, he's Gil's friend, so you know he's got the best person in the world to talk to about … well anything really."

Still unconvinced, she bit her lip and took one last look over her shoulder.

They rode the lift up to the lobby in silence. When the doors open they were kept from getting off by some burly looking men speaking another language. 'Maybe a Russian derivative,' Cal thought.

"Excuse us," he shouted, grabbing Em's hand and pushing through the men to get off the lift. "Just a Brit and his daughter coming through."

The men didn't give him a second glance. Cal though took stock of them. He noticed that while they were dressed in casual clothes, their demeanor suggested they were not actually here on vacation. They were also huge, at least twice his size. That plus their demeanor made them look more like thugs than tourists.

Something else about them gnawed at him. It was their faces, he realized. There was no readable expression on any of their faces. Which was … odd, very odd.

Before he could question them the lift doors closed, leaving Cal staring at nothing.

"Dad?" Em asked curiously.

Cal shook his head, then turned back to his daughter. Granted it was odd, but really it didn't matter. There hadn't been anything on their face suggesting he should warn someone. There hadn't really been anything at all on their faces.

Looking at his daughter he smiled at her and shrugged. He had enough on his plate without worrying about strange men in lifts. Perhaps his happiness over Gil was affecting him more than he realized. She'd never believe he had walked away from such an intriguing facial reading dilemma.

As they made their way across the lobby, he stopped in his tracks, having spotted a face that was definitely not one he could ignore. Picking up the pace, he strode after the retreating figure.

"Dad… Dad! Where are we going?" Emily asked from behind him as she struggled to keep up.

He didn't answer her, just continued to follow Agent Reynolds.

"Dad, I don't think we're meant to be back here." They were entering an area that was meant for hotel workers and designated as such.

Cal didn't stop though, so Emily followed after him. Spotting Reynolds entering an office, Cal swept in eyeing the others in the room. He took in his employees, Wallowski, Reynolds, several other Agents, and a kid asleep in a stroller. His common sense told him that there was something very wrong for all of them to be here. "Alo, what's this then?"

"Eli? Ria?" Emily questioned coming in behind her father. She and Cal turned when they heard the click of the door behind them. An agent had shut them in.

"Lightman. Emily." Ben acknowledged them before asking, "Where's Foster?"

"Now why do you need to know that mate?" Cal asked defiantly. "Last I remember, I told you," he glared at Ria, "not to bother us. Now I find you here of all places? I think I deserve some answers?" Cal spoke the last bit to Reynolds who held up his hands in a gesture of appeasement.

"Alright Lightman. You'll get your answers. But if you can tell us where Gillian is, it could save us all a lot of heart ache." He gave a knowing look to Cal.

"What's this then? Is Gil in trouble?" Adrenaline surged through Cal. The same rage and fear that always arose at even a hint that Gillian might be in danger. He puffed himself up threateningly at Ben as there was nowhere else to direct those feelings.

"We're not sure…"

"Not sure?!" Cal interrupted Ben before he had even begun to explain.

"Look, I'm trying to explain." Ben's tone conveyed his own building frustration with Lightman.

Ben was a man of action and being contained in this small room was driving him crazy. Which was why when Eli spotted Lightman on the elevator cameras, Ben had made the quick decision to step out and catch Cal's attention. He knew Lightman would follow him. While the man could be a royal pain in his ass, he was also amazingly adept at using his facial recognition skills to solve cases. Plus having Cal and Em in the room with them meant they were safe.

"We don't know if Gillian's at risk or not. What we do know is that a witness that has been hiding here is in danger and Gillian knows the witness."

Cal's eyes read the truth in Ben's explanation. They then darted over the faces of the others in the room. Honing in on the woman sitting next to the sleeping child, he noticed she was holding a stuffed animal on her lap in a death grip. The fear and stress were evident on her face. It was the expression of a parent going through the worst nightmare imaginable. His mind started putting the pieces together.

"Gillian's friend…" he whispered.

"What was that?" Ben asked.

"You said Gillian knows the witness." While the response was directed at Ben, Cal continued to stare at the woman. "You wouldn't be talking about Robert would you?"

* * *

Robert ducked down behind some bushes. He was panting from running. Looking around he spotted a trash can nestled into a little alcove. It was the perfect space to hide and catch his breath. Making sure he didn't see the mean man anywhere, Robert quickly squeezed into the space and sat down with his back to the can. He took a few calming breaths as Michael kept watch for him.

He had never run so fast in his life. Michael had told him where to go as he raced away from the bad men. Robert didn't think he'd have gotten away without Michael's help.

"What should I do now Michael?" he whispered to his special friend, but Michael didn't answer.

Robert sighed and wiped at a stray tear running down his face. This wasn't the time to cry. He knew that. He had to find someone to help him. But Brian, Darcy and Ava were going to their room, and the bad men had been in their room. Robert looked up at Michael with worry.

"Do you think Brian, Darcy, and Ava … ?" His question trailed off as Michael assured him they were alright.

Robert nodded in relief. He knew better than to question how Michael knew that. Michael knew everything.

"Should I try to find them?" Robert thought that sounded like a good plan but Michael told him no. He said that they weren't at the hotel anymore.

"Where did they go?" Michael didn't answer.

Robert chewed on his thumb. He needed help that was for sure. Michael was great, but no one could see him but Robert.

"I need help Michael... I need … a friend."

An idea popped into his mind.

"Gillian! I bet she would help me. You did say she was im-pore-tent. Right? Can you help me find her?" He whispered.

Michael seemed to think that was a good idea.

"Ok." Robert nodded to himself. He had to be brave and go find Gillian.

"Ok, Michael. I'm ready." Robert said squeezing back out from behind the trashcan and following Michael to a door that led back into the hotel.

* * *

It didn't take long for them to get Cal caught up on the situation and even less time for Cal to put himself back in charge of his team. Ben wasn't surprised. As soon as they revealed that even a hint of threat to Gillian existed, Ben knew Cal would do anything in his power to protect her. Even if it meant alienating the Agents that were already working diligently to solve this case.

Ben rolled his eyes as Cal attempted to pick yet another fight with Agent Prefti. This time it was because Prefti and Reynolds had made the decision to move his undercover agents and their daughter to a more secure location. Cal thought they should stay in case they might remember something or add additional insights.

Agent Prefti had of course gone ahead with the decision. He left with his team of his Agents to escort the Carters to the waiting vans. The vans would take the Carters to a safe house. Ben wasn't certain if Prefti would have personally overseen such an escort under normal circumstances or if he had chosen to do so as an excuse to get away from Lightman.

Reynolds knew the real reason Cal was blowing up at his fellow Agents was because he felt constrained by not doing anything. Cal was like Ben in that way. Not that Ben wanted to admit Lightman was at all like him, but the fact remained, keeping Cal confided in a small room while Gillian was at risk was like caging an angry tiger.

Knowing this about Lightman, and also about himself, he went against his better judgment and offered up a potential remedy.

"Lightman, lay off alright. We get that you want to make sure Foster's ok. But the Carters have told us all they know and what's safest for them _and their daughter_ is to be moved to a safe house." Ben emphasized the words while shooting a look toward Emily, reminding Lightman that he should know what it meant to keep a child safe. Cal shot him a look but appeared to be properly chastised. "Now what we should be focusing on is how to get Foster and Robert here safely. Is there anything _you_ can tell us about Foster or Robert? Do you know where we might find either one of them?"

Something flashed in Cal's eyes and Reynolds saw him give a quick glance towards his daughter. He didn't get the chance to call him on it though because Ria beat him to the punch.

"Whoa. What was that?" Her gaze caught Lightman's as she stepped forward, her desire to unmask the truth taking precedent over her sense of self-preservation.

"Never you mind." Cal shot her a look as the mask slipped back into place.

Turning toward Ben, he addressed him directly. "Right. Haven't seen Gillian since last night." Now technically it had been this morning, but it hadn't really felt like the morning, so in essence it was fairly close to the truth, making the lie a bit easier to pull off. "Last we saw Robert he was leaving the restaurant. Said he was heading up to his room. Right Em?"

"Um yeah, yeah he said his aunt and uncle told him to come up straight away once he finished his puzzle." Emily chewed on her lower lip looking forlorn.

Cal could see she was kicking herself for not making sure Robert got back safely. He felt like a right tosser himself. "That's it luv." He squeezed her shoulder reassuringly.

"Oi, did you find him on the feeds?" Cal dropped the gentle tone he'd used for his daughter when he directed the question at Eli.

Poor Eli was hunched over his laptop screen scanning through several video feeds from the hotel. They were so small he had to squint to try and make out the details. "God I miss the lab," he complained. "Yeah I think I caught him heading toward the elevators but there were so many people and he's so small it's hard to be sure. It looked like he was on the elevator and then got off. I caught a glimpse of him in the hallway on his floor, but now there's nothing. He hasn't popped up on any of the other screens. It's like he vanished."

"How can a kid bloody vanish?" Lightman growled in frustration.

"I mean there are so many kids here, it's hard to find one little blond haired boy in a sea of running children." Eli ran his hand over his face in frustration, his red rimmed eyes searching the tiny screens depicting the various cameras in the hotel.

"I definitely saw those thugs that ran into Lightman. They were on the elevator feeds and then in the hallways. But it was hard to catch their faces. They know where the cameras are and are doing their best to keep their identities hidden." Eli blinked and groaned. "But after the hallway feed, they vanish too. It's like they are there one minute and gone the next. I have no idea where they went." He continued to scan the feeds looking to see where they might pop up.

"And no sign of Foster?" Ben asked him.

"Mmm-mmm." Eli mumbled in the negative still watching the video feeds. "If only I had my other laptop…"

"I told you that you could use mine." Ria picked up her laptop bag for emphasis.

"It would take too long to load the program on yours. What I need is a laptop that already has the …" Eli stopped and sat up in his chair turning toward Lightman. "…program on it."

"You need my laptop." Lightman responded flatly. Inside though he was thrilled. This was his chance to get up to his room and get a hold of Gillian; make certain she was alright. He could pop up there and no one would be the wiser.

"Right." Cal paused as his mind raced to come up with a plan. "I'll just pop up to my room. Grab the laptop…"

"Not so fast Lightman." Ben puffed out his chest. "There are still terrorists loose in this hotel. I'm not letting you go anywhere by yourself."

"Right," Cal agreed quickly noting the surprise on Ben's face and trying not to smirk in response. He'd never really been convinced that Ben hadn't had feelings for Gillian. And if by tagging along, Reynolds happened to find out that he and Gil… well, that was no skin off his back, now was it. Trying not to smile and give himself away, Cal continued as he edged closer to the door. "So Ben and I will just pop up…"

"I'm coming too!" Emily jumped up from her chair.

"Absolutely not. It's too dangerous…" Lightman immediately shot back but Em interrupted him before his rant could get going in earnest.

"I am going. If Robert and Gillian need our help then I'm going too. Gillian's family and family sticks together and as for Robert, well, I promised him and I won't let him down again. I won't." Emily stood with her hands in fists at her side holding her chin out defiantly.

Cal's internal thoughts were in conflict. He was immensely proud of the determination he read on his daughter's face; apple didn't fall too far from the tree. As always he was moved by her love for Gillian. Then there was the question of her safety. While he didn't want Emily running around a hotel that was full of terrorists, he also felt safer when she was where he could protect her. Rational or not, he didn't trust her safety to anyone else, except Zoe and Gillian. They were the only people, other than himself, who he knew in his heart would lay down their own lives to save Emily.

All these thoughts raced through Cal's mind coupled with his fear that Emily would discover where Gillian's hotel room was located. Cal did not want her to know what had transpired between them the night before. He wasn't ready to have that conversation with her yet.

As Cal's mind raced, Ria interjected.

"I should come too. We interviewed the Shehu triplets. I can identify them. Plus they are really hard to read, it's almost like they have a secret language, and I have the most experience with reading them." She rushed through the explanation, trying to ignore Cal's penetrating gaze as she attempted to convince Reynolds. Ria needed to get out of the room, despite the danger. She was going just as stir crazy as her boss.

"And you'll need back up." Wallowski pointed out the obvious lack of Agent presence in the office. Only the tech guys still immersed in reviewing the video feeds with Loker remained.

Ben shook his head and rubbed his face. What the hell was he thinking?

"Right. This is not a bust." He eyed Wallowski. "Not some crime scene television show." He gave Emily and Ria each a look in turn.

"We are simply going to Lightman's room, retrieving his laptop, and then we are coming straight back here. Understood? If I tell you to run, you run." He again looked pointedly at Emily. "If I tell you to hit the floor, you hit the floor." Then he looked at Ria. "And if I tell you to do something _you do it_." This time he emphasized his point to Lightman.

"I'm in charge. Is that understood?" Ben glared at Cal waiting for a response.

Cal threw up his hands as if in surrender. "You're in charge. Right you are."

Ben eyed him warily. They both knew Reynolds still didn't believe him. Cal shrugged. To be fair, it wasn't like he believed it himself.

Ben shook his head mumbling, "I can't believe I'm doing this," before turning to address Eli. "Eli, is there anything on the feeds from here to Lightman's hotel room?"

Eli asked Cal for his room number then pulled up the appropriate cameras. "If you take these elevators up to the floor, then go down this hallway, it all looks clear."

"Ok. Eli you stay here and continue to scan the feeds. If you catch anything, anything at all, keep us informed." Ben held up his phone and Eli nodded. "We'll stop for a bit in the room so you can give us the all clear before we come back. If Agent Prefti returns you let him know where I've gone."

Getting another nod from Eli, Ben turned toward the door. Cal had beat him to it, but before Lightman could crack it open, Ben's arm shot out to hold it shut. Cal threw a look over his shoulder at Ben questioningly.

"Best behavior Lightman." Ben threatened.

"Scout's honor." Cal replied.

* * *

Gillian Foster was having the best dream.

She was lying in bed with Cal Lightman and he was slowly running his fingers along the skin of her arm as he crooned to her, in that beautiful Cockney accent, "You bring out the best in me luv."

Gillian felt herself grinning as she called him out on it. "Liar." She teased, giggling as he pulled her lower half even closer to him. She tilted her head, watching his eyes as she traced his grin with her fingertips.

Growling, he pulled her into a deep kiss. "It's true luv" he whispered into her ear as his fingers trailed down her abdomen. "From the first moment I met you, I've wanted to be a better person."

She inhaled the scent of him. It was so hard to believe he was telling her these things. He'd always had a way of surprising her.

He continued to whisper in her ear. "You understand me more than anyone else ever has and you've been there for me through … well everything."

As he pulled back from her ear, things began to get a little blurry. Gillian tried to focus on Cal's face but it was growing fuzzier by the second.

She squinted at him as she heard him say, "I trust you Gillian."

She sighed and shut her eyes tight hoping that when she opened them he would be more in focus.

"There is something I should have said a long time ago," Cal paused.

It was so important that she listen, that she see him. In her heart she knew what he was about to say, what she longed to hear. She opened her eyes and found herself looking deeply into his hazel ones.

When he didn't say anything further, she encouraged him. "Yes Cal?"

He smiled at her with something new in his eyes. Something she'd waited so long to see reflected there.

"Gil, I love…love…love….love…"

As her brain woke up, the dream meshed with reality. Cal's repetitive wording became an annoying alarm. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she realized she had taken an impromptu nap. Sitting up she reached over to mute the beeping and noticed that there was a light flashing on the room's phone alerting her to a new message.

'That's odd,' she thought. Pressing the speaker button she followed the prompts to listen to the message. There was only one.

" _Gillian Foster_?"

Upon hearing the woman's voice, Gillian could immediately tell something was wrong. She sounded hesitant and frightened.

" _Um hi. This is Darcy, Robert's … aunt_."

Gillian's stomach instantly knotted and the hairs on the back of her neck rose. She heard the hesitation when Darcy called herself Robert's aunt. That was odd, but the fear in the woman's voice signaled an even bigger issue. Gillian bit her lip. 'Not Robert, please not Robert.'

"I'm so sorry to bother you, but … well … we can't find Robert."

Gillian's heart fell. "No," she whispered.

"I … I was hoping you might have seen him. Or if you do that you would watch over him. He's … well he's been through a lot … and I promised to make sure he was safe …"

With each word, Gillian could hear the woman's heart breaking.

"If … if you do find him, please call me …" Gillian propped the phone under her ear so she could take the cap off the pen that had been sitting with a pad of paper on the end table. She quickly took down the number as Darcy called out the digits.

Not bothering to erase the message, Gillian hung up the phone. Tearing the slip of paper with Darcy's phone number on it, she tucked it into her purse along with her room key and cell phone. Not even bothering to check her reflection in the mirror, she left the room in search of Robert.

As she checked to make sure the door had locked behind her, she recognized a familiar voice call out, 'Don't forget your key." Gillian turned around. Standing in the doorway of the room next to hers was Sharon Wallowski. The detective was addressing someone already in the hall. In her outstretched hand was a room key.

"No." Gillian whispered, her already fragile stomach in knots.

She didn't want to look; didn't want to confirm what her mind told her she already knew. Her heart wanted to deny it; wanted to believe that after last night, he couldn't have done this. That he wouldn't have jumped into bed with another woman, let alone Sharon Wallowski, after telling her that very morning that he loved her. It couldn't be true.

Swallowing down the bile that rose in her throat, she knew she had to look. So she did, her heart begging every deity in existence that it would not be him.

But it was.

He stood staring at her with his eyes wide open. His head began shaking 'no,' and he opened his mouth to try to explain, "Gil … it's not …"

She didn't wait around for the excuse. Turning her back to him she fled down the hallway. There had been no time to school her features, to put up a mask she wasn't even sure she had the capability of producing.

As she stormed away, angrily brushing the tears from her cheeks, she felt her heart shatter.

* * *

Robert froze. His little hands holding the handle to the door that would let him into the hallway. There was no sound in the stairwell above or below him. But he trusted Michael. So when Michael told him to freeze he did.

Leaning his ear closer to the door, he thought he heard something. It was muffled, but sounded like voices. Slowly and as quietly as he could, he opened the door just a crack. Peering through the small opening he saw Gillian. Before he could cry out to her though, a familiar male voice stopped him.

"Dr. Gillian Foster. We meet at last."

* * *

The man's voice was heavily accented. The accent was one Gillian couldn't quite place, it almost sounded Greek, but that wasn't right. It didn't help that she was upset and distracted. She blinked away her tears and took in the man's features. He appeared to be in his twenties, fit, well groomed, and impeccably dressed. His stature and demeanor suggested a man who liked to be in control and was used to getting his way.

Gillian's guard went up. Years of training allowed her to school hear features. Standing up straighter she directed her gaze at him. "I'm so sorry. Do I know you?"

"No, not yet." The tone of his voice was calm, yet there was an undertone to it that she didn't like. "But I have made the acquaintance of your colleagues at the Lightman Group."

Gillian didn't remember this man in any of the case files. "Are you a client, Mr. …?"

"Shehu. Agron Shehu." He didn't offer her his hand when he supplied his name. "And no … I'm not a … client."

Gillian heard the unspoken command in his tone. Unconsciously she stepped back and bumped into something unmoving. Looking up she realized it was a man, a very muscular man who was the spitting image of Agron Shehu. Several more burly men appeared behind Agron seemingly out of nowhere.

Gillian refused to let them see that she was afraid. "Well if you're not a client Mr. Shehu, then perhaps we can discuss your business at our offices during normal hours. As you can clearly see I'm on vacation and would like to get back to enjoying myself." Gillian turned as if to walk away, but was stopped when the man behind her grabbed her upper arms.

"No, I don't think my business can wait that long Dr. Foster. In fact, I believe you can help me right now." Agron paused for emphasis as he watched her face.

She schooled her features as best she could, believing this had something to do with her or Cal. As angry as she was at him, she would never betray him. She still loved him. A thought which would have broken her if it had not been for the dire situation she was currently facing.

"You see I'm looking for a friend of yours." Agron pulled out a photo and stared at it for a moment before looking into her eyes.

Believing the photo was of Cal, she was totally unprepared when Agron turned the image around and a familiar curly haired freckled face smiled up at her.

"Robert Carter."

Gillian's shock was evident and unfortunately her recognition of the boy was too.

"So you do know him. I wasn't sure if it was true that you had a connection with the boy." Agron's words were laced with anger, surprise, and pleasure.

She tried to put the mask on, even began to shake her head in an attempt to lie, "No…" Her protest died on her lips when unmasked animosity flashed across Agron's features.

"She knows something." He told the man holding her arms. An evil looking smile spread across his face, causing the blood in her veins to freeze. "Take her."

Gillian twisted in the man's arms, hearing the finality in that statement. If they took her, she wouldn't be coming back. But before she could scream, a cloth covered her face. She tried to pull at the hand holding it there but to no avail. The harsh smelling chemical entered her lungs all too quickly. Spots began to fill her eyes, and the world swam as her legs gave out from under her. The last thing she noticed before passing out was a little eyeball watching her from a crack in a doorway on the side of the hallway. Then the big man threw her over his shoulder and everything went black.


	7. Promises

The Most Magical Place on Earth – Chapter 7: Promises

* * *

Thank you for your patience! I really hope this chapter was worth the wait. Please let me know what you think!

Huge thank you to everyone who has reviewed this story. Your feedback really is a great help and a motivator. Your words and kindness have kept propelling me toward the finish line.

Another Great Big Warm Thank you being sent out to Tangledupandsideways. Thank you for beta reviewing this chapter and more importantly for always being so patient, encouraging, and helpful!

When I began writing this chapter, I had actually thought it would be the last one. Surprisingly the story wasn't ready to end just yet. This whole experience has been me getting out of the way and allowing the story to naturally unfold. A few times it meant coercing things out of hiding.

Which leads to a Big Ol' Special Thank You to SassyCop for helping with the FBI involvement in this chapter. I got stuck on this story line for a bit and the insights you provided got me going down the right path.

FYI – SassyCop is being published! So check out her bio page and consider picking up her new books. Support a fellow FanFiction writer!

* * *

I do not own Lie to Me, the characters, dialogue, or events in the episodes.

* * *

Robert was terrified. The mean man had Gillian. His Gillian.

He desperately wanted to run out there and hit him or... or kick him or… well anything, anything to save her.

But Michael stopped him. Michael wouldn't let him go. Michael said Robert couldn't help Gillian that way. The men were too strong. If Robert went out there he would be captured too. Then they would have Robert _and_ Gillian, and that would not help anyone.

Robert shook as the tears ran down his face. It was so hard to listen to Michael, even though in his heart he knew that what Michael said was true. Robert wasn't strong enough. He hadn't been strong enough to help mommy and daddy. He wasn't strong enough to save Gillian. It just wasn't fair.

Michael told him that when it was safe they would go get help.

But Robert didn't want to hear that.

He hated the mean man! Hated that he kept taking the people Robert loved away from him. First his parents, then Darcy and Brian. Now Gillian.

Tears poured down Robert's face. The mean man had a picture and he was showing it to Gillian. Robert couldn't see what was on the photo but he saw Gillian shake her head no.

He heard the mean man say, "She knows something. Take her."

Robert bit his lip to keep from making a noise. He watched as Gillian tried to pull out of the big man's arms but he was too strong. Robert fisted his hands so tight his fingernails dug into his skin, but he listened to Michael and stayed put. He didn't even flinch when the big man held something over Gillian's mouth, but a single tear ran down his cheek as he listened to Gillian's muffled cries and watched as she dropped to her knees.

The big man picked her up and put her over his shoulder. Robert saw her face one last time before they disappeared down the hallway. Her eyes were closed like she was sleeping.

When they were out of sight, Robert knew it was time to act. He would be brave.

"I may not be strong enough but I can be brave," he told Michael. "I'll find someone who is strong enough. Someone who can save Gillian."

'But how will you make them listen?' An ugly thought rose in his mind. 'Mommy and Daddy didn't listen to you. You're only a child. Who will listen to a child? Who will believe you?'

Robert shuddered at the questions in his head. "I'll just have to find someone who will listen to me. Someone who will trust me." He responded out loud. Then looking at Michael, he realized who they needed to find. Michael nodded in agreement.

Squaring his shoulders, Robert pushed the door open as carefully and quietly as he could and squeezed through. Making sure the door closed without making a noise, he took one last glance down the hallway where the men had taken Gillian.

'I'll find someone Gillian.' He told her in his mind. 'I promise.'

With that, he turned and ran in the other direction.

* * *

Cal sat with his head in his hands. How had this gone so wrong so quickly?

"I'm sorry Cal, really I am." Sharon said for what felt like the hundredth time. He couldn't even bother responding. His past had ruined the best thing in his life.

Worst of all he hadn't even been able to explain himself. Gillian's face had been all he needed to see. Her devastation broke his heart. All trust in him had died in that moment. It was killing him; and it was all his own doing. So desperate to keep his daughter from realizing where Gil's room was, he had rushed out of their room with some stupid excuse and had forgotten to grab the room key. Wallowski had only been trying to help when she followed him out. He knew that really, but it was shite timing.

The group around him was uncharacteristically quiet. Uncertainty coupled with concern for Cal's defeatist attitude had left them without their earlier fervor.

Emily sat next to her dad on the couch, rubbing his back in an attempt to comfort him. She wasn't sure what had happened, but could tell it wasn't good.

Ria perched on a side chair biting her lip. Sharon's face was an open book of apologetic guilt. There was no reading Lightman as his face was hidden in his hands. Yet Ria was still fairly certain it had something to do with Foster. It didn't take rocket science to know that only two people could rock Cal so badly. As Emily was accounted for, that only left Gillian. A 'harumph' caught her attention as she looked up at Reynolds.

Ben was pacing back and forth. It was clear he was getting more and more agitated as time passed without an explanation. He was tired. Tired of no answers. Tired of waiting for Lightman to explain his weird behavior. He opened his mouth to start asking questions, but was interrupted by a loud banging on the door.

Ben turned to look just as Cal jumped up from the couch. Emily grabbed her father's hands in panic. Ria slid into the seat shrinking down behind the arm of the chair. Sharon's hand went to her gun.

Spotting Wallowski's stance, Ben motioned for all of them to stay back as he went to the door, hand on his own weapon. He peeked through the peephole but didn't see anything at first. Then he heard what sounded like a child's voice accompanying another round of banging.

"Let me in! Let me in! It's Gillian! They have her! They have her!"

Before Ben could even grab the door knob, Cal had knocked him out of the way and pulled the door open. A screaming, crying Robert had rushed in and wrapped his arms around Lightman's legs. He was hysterical.

"They have Gillian. They have Gillian. We have to stop them."

* * *

There was nothing on the feeds.

'Why was there no sign of these guys on the feeds?' Eli's frustration and concentration were both etched in the lines on his face. His eyes were running back and forth across the laptop screen searching the hallways and stairways of the hotel for any sign of the members of the gang.

"God! Why are there so many people here?" Eli stood up slamming his hands on his legs in frustration. Pacing over to the table to pour himself a coffee, he pondered the options available to him. There had to be something he was missing.

After adding the creamer to his cup, he stirred it with one of the little plastic sticks. Then turning he threw the stirrer into the metal bin next to the table. Something caught his eye. It was the reflection on the metal surface as his arm returned to his side.

Eli turned his head sideways looking at the trash can. His eyes moved back and forth in thought. Something elusive played at the edge of his mind. If only he could figure out what it meant.

The ring of a phone made him jump. Several agents stood up at the noise. 'Glad I'm not the only one on edge.' Eli thought running his hand through his hair as Agent Prefti answered the cell.

"You found the boy…" The agent's face frowned in response to what he was hearing. "But how… Right. We're headed your way." Prefti signaled to the agents remaining in the room as he headed for the door. Grabbing his jacket he pulled it on as the agents followed him out into the hallway.

Eli watched them go shaking his head. No one ever told him anything.

* * *

"What do you mean they have Gillian?"

"Who has Gillian?"

"Where did they take her?"

"Oh my god Robert! Are you ok?"

Each of them shouted out questions in unison at the poor kid who was glued to Cal's legs in terror. It was Em's question though that caught Cal's attention. Leave it to her to be just like Gillian and care about the kid first.

"Oy!" he yelled at the lot of them giving them a cursory glance to be quiet before squatting down and prying Robert off his legs so he could look him in the eyes. The poor kid felt like a rag doll in his hands. Cal was pretty much holding him up. He was careful not to shake the boy, although part of him felt an impulse to do just that, the part of him that desperately needed to know how to find and protect Gillian. Instead he lowered his voice and slowly spoke to the child.

"Robert, you said they have Gillian. Who has Gillian?"

Something in Robert's eyes flashed. Cal saw the terror go across his face. Robert whispered, "The mean man."

Cal would have continued this line of questioning but he heard Ria's gasp behind him. "Agron Shehu," she clarified. Cal risked a brief look at her, Sharon, and Ben. The confidence in their faces was enough confirmation for Cal.

"Where did they take her Robert? Do you know?" he asked the boy again speaking slowly and softly.

Robert looked at Cal and shook his head biting his lip. "No. I don't know where…" Cal felt his insides tighten. "But I saw them go down the hallway."

"Right. Can you show us Robert? Can you show us where they went?" Cal knew he was asking a lot of the kid. He was already so drained physically and emotionally. But Robert once again surprised him. The kid pulled from a reserve of strength that Cal couldn't believe he even had. Pushing back his shoulders and taking a deep breath Robert nodded and turned to open the door behind him.

"Cal are you sure it's the best idea to…" Wallowski gestured toward the kid as if to ask if they really wanted to expose him to further danger.

"Got a better one?" Cal growled back at her. She shut her mouth and looked away.

Standing up Cal followed Robert into the hall, barely registering that the rest of them were following behind him. He could hear Ben whispering into his phone having already reached out to Agent Prefti. Robert led them down the hall and around a bend before pointing further down the hallway toward the lobby.

"They're headed toward the lobby," Ben whispered as he pulled out his gun and took off in the direction pointed out by Robert.

Cal felt the pull to race after Ben, but knew he had to take care of Robert and Emily. He could already see Em's face starting to prepare to fight him, but he played the sympathy card. "Em, I need you to watch after Robert." Guiding the boy toward his daughter with a gently hand on the kid's shoulder, he attempted to step around Robert. "Take him back to the room and don't let anyone in until I phone you."

Ria and Wallowski were already edging around the two youngsters in an attempt to follow Ben.

"I'll ring you as soon as we have Gil." With that Cal turned prepared to take off with Ria and Sharon when the boy's shout stopped them all.

"NO!" Robert had grabbed ahold of Cal's arm and was now pulling him in the other direction. "You can't go that way. You can't!"

"What? Why Robert…? What's this about? I need to save Gillian." Cal was already trying to extricate himself from the determined young man's glue like hold on him. His frustration was mounting. He needed to get to Gillian. "Let go!"

"NO! No you can't go that way. You won't make it in time. You won't save her." Robert cried grabbing onto Cal's belt with his newly freed hand; Cal had just managed to pry it off of his arm.

Cal stopped and looked at the kid. "What do you mean?"

"Michael said we have to go this way!" Robert was now tugging Cal by the belt in the direction opposite to where Gillian had been taken. "Please we don't have time. We have to go now!"

"Robert, you just said Gillian was taken that way." Cal pointed back down the hall where Reynolds had run moments before. The lack of action on his own part was getting to Cal and his frustration was rising.

"I know, but that's not where she is. You _have to_ trust me! Michael is NEVER wrong. We have to save Gillian. We have to go this way." The kid was still pulling on his arm in what Cal felt was the wrong direction.

Cal wondered how he could extricate himself from this situation. Robert was bordering on hysterical. Cal began trying to pry the kid's fingers off his belt. Perhaps if he could get the boy into the hotel room he could catch up with Reynolds still. Time wasn't on his side though and each second was eating away at him. He was so focused on how to get the kid off of him, that Ria's question to Robert stunned him.

"Michael told you Gillian was this way?"

Cal glanced at her as if she'd lost her mind. But she didn't notice. She was fixated on the boy's face. Cal realized even Wallowski was staring at Robert. Both women appeared to believe the answer was important.

"Yes! Michael said we have to go this way to get to Gillian in time." The boy nodded at both women. If Cal hadn't known better he would have sworn the kid had read the agreement on their faces and believed them to be allies.

"I think we should go with the kid." Ria shocked him even further.

Looking from her to Wallowski, he was astonished by the look on the cop's face. It seemed even Shazzer agreed with Robert. "Have you all lost your bloody minds?" Cal threw his hands up in frustration. "May I remind you that the kid just said that they took Gillian that way?" Pointing down the hall in the direction Reynolds had left.

"I know it doesn't make sense," Ria tried to explain, "but ..." pausing she bit her lip anticipating her boss' reaction, "Michael's been right before."

"Michael!?" Lightman glared at her, the sarcasm and disbelief evident in his tone. "Michael's been right before?! Well then you bloody go with Michael!"

"No!" Robert interrupted, fear causing his voice to shake. "Michael says _you_ have to come. _You_ have to save her. You're the only one who can!"

As the boy pleaded with him, Cal studied the worry on the kid's face. It was clear that Robert believed in Michael; that he believed going in the opposite direction was the best way to get to Gillian. Cal felt himself actually beginning to question which decision would be the right one.

Perhaps sensing Cal's resolve weakening, Robert struck one final blow. "Please. You promised. You promised you'd trust me. You promised!"

The kid's demand tore at Lightman's heart. Then his daughter crushed the last of his weakening resolve.

"Dad," Emily cut in. "Ben's probably already at the lobby with the other agents." She rested her hand on his shoulder. "You did promise."

Cal looked at his daughter as she stared back at him with compassion. He then looked down at Robert, the boy's earnest face pleading with Cal to listen to him. Breaking that promise would hurt the kid in a way Cal wasn't sure he was prepared to handle. Cal then glanced at Torrez and Wallowski. Both were set in agreement with the kid.

Cal's gut was in knots. Trusting Reynolds to save his Gillian was a hard pill to swallow. Hurting the kid after promising to trust him was doing something to Cal's psyche he couldn't seem to stomach. Running in the opposite direction from the best chance of saving Gillian was pulling his heart out.

"Trust me. Please!" Robert pleaded one last time, tugging hard on Cal's belt. "We have to go now!"

Looking the kid in the eye, Cal nodded, making his bed. God he hoped this kid was right. "Right. I trust you." Robert's eyes widened in momentary surprise before filling with an emotion that surprised Lightman. Hope.

"Let's go." Cal told him. With that Robert turned and raced down the hall, the others following him.

Cal couldn't resist one glance back over his shoulder as he followed. His only thought was, 'Please be alright Gil.'

* * *

Reynolds raced down the hallway in the direction the kid had indicated, adrenaline coursing through his veins. All the pent up frustration he had been feeling was now being channeled into the chase.

He slowed down as he approached a blind corner. Performing a visual check he saw no one in the vicinity but spotted an elevator door in an alcove off the main hall. Flicking open his phone, he scrolled quickly through the last few numbers he had dialed and hit send.

"Reynolds?" Eli's voice answered after half a ring.

"Loker, I need you to check the cameras in these hallways. I'm running blind, man."

"On it." Eli responded clicking away on his laptop. While he typed he switched to different camera feeds and gave a running play by play on what he saw. "Agent Prefti and his team of agents just left. I see a few of them in the lobby, looks like the rest are heading … in your direction. There you are Ben."

Ben looked around and spotted the camera. Wiping his hand down his face in exasperation, he clenched his teeth as he responded. "Right, Loker. I need to know about the Albanian boys. Kid came tearing up to Lightman's room screaming about Gillian being taken…"

"Foster?" Eli interrupted his typing fingers froze in mid key stroke. Concern and confusion was evident in his voice. "Foster's been taken?"

"Apparently!" Ben's voice rose. "So get these cameras working and tell me where I need to go!"

Furious typing noises followed Ben's rant. Loker was speeding through the feeds providing frustrated commentary as he scanned the images. "I see you, Ben. There's Agent Prefti… but these guys… they aren't on any of the feeds. It's like they know where the cameras are and are avoiding them." Eli's frustrated exhale was followed by silence then more frantic typing. "Wait… wait, there's something here… There you are!"

"Finally!" Ben huffed.

"I saw a flicker of something on one of the camera feeds." Loker continued his play by play. "So I zoomed in on the video. It's a reflection. Looks like a group of them are one floor below you, still heading toward the lobby..."

Before the words even formed on his lips, Loker read Ben's mind and answered the unasked question. "You can take that elevator there in the alcove. I'm interfacing with it now. It should be headed to your floor as we speak. Take it one floor down and head toward the lobby."

"Right." Ben moved into the alcove and hit the down button on the elevator. "Eli, get ahold of Agent Prefti. Direct him so we stop these guys and get Foster back."

"On it." Eli responded before the line went dead.

Trusting him to do his job, Ben felt an odd sensation run down his spine as the elevator dinged and the doors opened. Glancing around in confusion he got on the elevator and hit the button for the lower floor. As the doors closed, he realized what felt so weird.

He was alone.

"Where the heck is Lightman?"

* * *

Racing behind Robert proved to be more of a challenge than expected. Those little legs were fast. When the kid turned and pushed open a door that was hidden in a little alcove, they almost over shot him.

The door led to a stairwell which Robert headed down. The stairs proved a bit more difficult for him. He couldn't race down them as fast as he had run along the hallways as he had to hold onto the railing. Unable to abide by another delay, Cal scooped him up in his arms and carried him.

"Keep going down!" Robert called out directions to Cal as they raced down the stairs.

They were all panting by the time the stairs leveled out on a landing with an exit door. A sign on the door read "Parking Deck".

"Here." Robert told Cal pointing at the doorway. "Through that door. Michael says Gillian is through there."

Cautious energy took over the group at his words and they all instantly quieted. Cal set the boy down and edged over to the door. Opening it as silently as he could, he snuck a peak outside before pulling his head quickly back in.

It was as labelled: a parking deck. His cursory glance showed no signs of people only parked cars. His heart dropped into his chest. Why hadn't he followed Reynolds?

* * *

Reynolds heard the sound of approaching footsteps as he neared the end of the hallway. Slowing his speed and hugging the wall he held his gun at the ready. A rumbling in his pocket alerted him to an incoming call. He had silenced the ringer in fear of this very thing.

Sliding the phone out of his pocket, he eyed the caller id. 'Now is not a good time Eli,' he thought. About to slip the phone back into his pocket, he noticed out of the corner of his eye a hallway camera. Shaking his head in frustration, he flipped open the phone and held it to his ear. The look he shot the video feed conveying just what he thought of the Loker's interruption.

"That's not the Albanian boys." Loker's voice echoed in his ear. The confusion on Ben's face was clear even on Loker's laptop feed. "It's Agent Prefti and his team."

Ben hesitated, then looking at the camera in exasperation, he called out. "Prefti?"

"Reynolds?"

Recognizing the other agent's voice Ben slammed his hands down. "Dammit Loker!"

Ben rounded the corner holding both arms up in appeasement. The agents on the other side of the hallway lowered their own weapons.

Picking the phone back up to his ear, Ben demanded. "Where the hell are they?"

"Off to your right, there should be a stairwell entrance," Eli responded.

Ben motioned for the agents to follow him as he approached the door. Slowly opening it he cleared the space before nodding his head indicating that Prefti and the team should follow him.

"Talk to me Loker!" He whispered into the phone.

"Down. The stair well leads to an exit." Eli said in his ear.

Still pressing the phone to his ear, Ben held his gun aloft and motioned for the team to follow him down the stairs. They made it one flight down before Ben halted them abruptly at the sound of Eli's voice in his ear.

"The exit's to a parking deck. They are out there, headed toward the lobby."

Ben paused at the question in Eli's voice. "What Loker?"

"It's just… odd. Before they were avoiding the cameras, but now they are strolling right down the middle of the parking lot like they don't care they're being watched. It's just…" Eli tried explaining to Ben the sense of foreboding he had.

"I got it Eli. They've changed their m.o. and that's enough to concern me too." Ben emphasized to Loker that he too was on high alert. "But they got Foster, so camera shy or not, we've got a meeting with them."

"Just… be careful." Loker whispered.

"Always am." Reynolds responded before hanging up the phone.

Ben took off down the stairs. The other agents followed closely behind.

* * *

Nodding at Wallowski, Cal attempted to convey that they were clear to exit. Holding the door open behind him, Cal exited first. Wallowski followed holding the door open as Robert and Emily came through. The last to leave was Ria and she closed the door behind her as quietly as she could.

Cal glanced at Robert and the kid pointed to their left. He nodded and set off in that direction, hoping against hope that the kid was right.

As he rounded a curve in the deck he heard the rumble of an engine. Cal held up his hands to stop the progression of those behind him. He snuck a look around the stone pillar that was blocking his view. A car was idling in the middle of the deck. The driver looked suspiciously like one of the brutes Cal had seen in the elevator.

The clanging of a door opening drew Cal's eye. A huge man emerged with something thrown over his shoulder. 'No, not something,' Cal thought as his heart jumped into his throat, 'someone.'

"Gillian." The whispered name only reached his own ears.

* * *

"Reynolds," Agent Prefti hung up his cell as he fell in step next to Ben. The team had just entered the parking deck behind them. "My men are approaching from the lobby."

Ben turned to Prefti and nodded. "We will have them blocked." Ben directed his next statement at the other agents with them. "The plan is to try and keep this from escalating, if possible, but keep your eyes and ears open. This could go south quickly."

Turning back to the task at hand, Reynolds rounded the corner and came face to face with a group of suited men heading in their direction.

'They must have spotted Prefti's men and turned back,' Ben deduced as he halted in front of them.

The group stopped when the man in front paused. He was obviously in charge. His eyes took in Ben, then dismissed him when he recognized Reynold's counterpart.

"Agent Prefti," the man snarled with barely masked hatred. "This is a surprise."

Reynolds could sense the history there and decided to take a back seat on this exchange. Sometimes having anonymity was a benefit. Ben felt Prefti stiffen next to him.

"Agron Shehu."

Prefti's identification of the man in front of them raised the hairs on Ben's neck. According to the kid, this was the man who had Foster. But as his eyes quickly took in the group in front of them, her presence was notably absent. The blood rushed to his ears and his hands fisted in frustrated rage. He swallowed to get better control of his emotions. It was one of the few similarities he shared with Lightman, a soft spot for Gillian Foster.

Reynolds realized that the rest of Agent Prefti's team were now standing behind Shehu and his goons. Prefti was now showing his credentials to the group in front of them. Ben let out a breath to clear his ears. It was important for him to pay attention.

"…You and your boys here are wanted in connection to the recent disappearance of …"

"I'm afraid me and… my boys, as you put it, have no idea what you're talking about." Agron interrupted Prefti. "Now if we could go back to our business…"

"Business is it?" Ben interrupted, unable to restrain himself any longer. "Isn't this a vacation spot? What kind of business is it you're working here?" Spinning with his arms out Reynolds kept a close eye on Mr. Shehu's face when he posed the next question. "Kidnapping women maybe?"

There was no response on the man's face, save a slight narrowing of the eyes. The men behind him, however, straightened a bit at Ben's line of questioning.

"I can assure you, agent…?" Trailing off the statement as a question directed toward Ben, Agron Shehu began to reevaluate the agent he had previously dismissed.

"Reynolds." Ben hissed out his name, staring the man down intimidatingly.

"Reynolds." Agron repeated, staring right back. "We have no need to resort to _kidnapping_ is it," disdain oozed off the word as he said it. "Women naturally want what we can provide them. We are never in short supply when it comes to the ladies." Shehu smirked but the smile never reached his eyes.

"Isn't that right boys?" Looking around at his men they laughed in response but immediately stopped when he continued speaking. "Perhaps you have issues on that front… Agent Reynolds… perhaps you should see a _doctor_ about that."

There was no question in Ben's mind that the nasty way he emphasized doctor was directly related to Gillian Foster. It took all of his restraint to keep himself from punching the man in the face.

* * *

The sound of the car's trunk popping open caused Cal to break his eye contact with the pair. Glancing over, he saw that the driver had exited the vehicle and was walking toward the trunk. The driver motioned for the large goon to hurry up and pointed toward the trunk, saying something in another language. Cal realized quickly what their game plan was.

Turning around, he whispered, "Em, you keep Robert out of sight. Go back in the stair well. Stay there and stay low." He eyed his daughter conveying the danger he knew was around them.

Nodding, she reached her arm around Robert's chest and pulled his back to her in an awkward hug. Moving so her arm was around his shoulder, she maneuvered him back towards the stair entrance. Both kids gave one last look over their shoulders at Cal before they disappeared from his view.

Turning to Wallowski, he said, "There's two men, a big guy and a driver. Gil's unconscious. Car's running. Follow my lead." He then made a few motions with his hands, basically telling her that he would be going out toward the two and she should go left through the cars to cover him.

Sharon nodded her understanding. Ducking below the windows of the cars she stealthily made her way along the wall of the parking deck.

Cal turned the other way, scooting low across the open area toward the cars parked across from them. The goons hadn't spotted him… yet. They were contemplating the trunk of the vehicle. The one carrying Gil, was almost to the open boot and had swung her off his shoulder as if to get a better angle to deposit her inside it.

'Not gonna happen buddy.' Cal thought. His one goal was to keep Gillian outside that running car.

Reynolds face contorted with the barely contained rage he felt. This punk deserved more than an ass whooping. But Ben was too professional to lose this on a technicality. Straightening his tie, then smoothing his jacket lapels, he cracked his neck before responding to Shehu's implication.

"Now that's funny, isn't it?" Ben turned around as if he was looking at the other agents, mocking Shehu's earlier interaction with his men. "You throw the word doctor out there like it's some kind of pun, when in reality you know that the woman we are looking for is a doctor. She's the one _you_ kidnapped." Ben stepped very far into Shehu's personal space, gazing with disgust at the man's face. "And I guarantee that when we find her, and we will find her, you will regret that decision for the rest of your life."

"Is that a threat agent Reynolds?" Agron spit back at him.

"No. That's a promise." Ben growled in response before reaching his hand into his pocket. The men behind Agron moved to do the same, believing Reynolds to be going for his gun. Their actions sent the agents on edge and they drew their own weapons.

"Gentlemen," Shehu held his hands up to stop his men but he didn't step away from Reynolds. It was apparent that Agron knew how the law worked and didn't want to risk having his men pull their guns on the agents. The goons behind him instantly moved their hands away from their weapons. "I'm sure we can handle this civilly." Shehu eyed Reynolds before turning dismissively and addressing Agent Prefti. "I suppose, Agent Prefti, that you have a warrant for our arrest? Otherwise we will be leaving." Agron made a motion as if to walk past Reynolds who stepped back in front of him blocking his path.

Pulling his hand out of his pocket, Ben swung the set of handcuffs in a mocking gesture in front of Agron. "I don't think so." Ben sneered.

* * *

Wallowski slowly crept her way up the side of the parking deck, holding her gun out in front of her. There was no telling what Lightman would do, especially as Gillian was involved, so she was on high alert.

Popping her head up over the hood of a car to sneak a glance in the direction of the car, she confirmed what Cal had told her. A large man with something over his shoulder was approaching the opened trunk of the idling vehicle. The smaller man, she assumed this was the driver, was also standing behind the car.

Glancing to her right she spotted Cal striding down the center of the deck with his chest puffed out. 'Here we go,' she thought.

Cal took a deep breath before standing and sauntering up the roadway toward the running vehicle.

"Oy!" He called out. "Big fella! You're lady friend have a bit too much bubbly then?"

The two men looked up over the raised trunk. Cal saw the cabbie, drop his lit cigarette and turn to take a cue from the big fella. The big guy lowered Gillian to the ground. Cal read on their faces the instant before they went for their guns. He dove between two cars on his right just as they opened fire.

Glass from the parked cars shattered all around Cal as the bullets rang out in the parking lot. Several car alarms began to blast, but above all that noise he heard Wallowski's voice identifying herself.

* * *

Emily huddled in the corner of the stairwell holding Robert next to her. They were sitting in shadow. She didn't know whether to stay silent or try talking to the kid to keep him, and honestly herself, calm. As she contemplated the question, Robert took the decision from her.

"Michael says it's going to be ok." The little boy whispered patting her hand gently. "He says we are safe here."

"I'm glad Michael thinks so." Emily hugged Robert closer to her. How was it the kid was keeping her calm? That was her job, wasn't it?

Robert snuggled into her lap getting comfortable.

Emily could smell the apple scent of shampoo in his hair. She rested the side of her face on his head for a moment, then nibbled her lower lip.

Before she could second guess herself she asked the question that had been worrying her more than their own safety. "Robert… did… did Michael say anything about Dad… I mean, Cal and Gillian? Are … I mean will they be…" Her whispered voice trailed off.

She was so worried about both of them her stomach was in knots. She was trying to stay strong for Robert, but it was really hard. Emily knew how much trouble her dad was capable of getting himself into.

Robert turned and looked up at her with those big eyes. "Emily, he…"

They both jumped as the sound of gunshots filled the parking lot. Robert turned in her lap. Hiding his face, he hugged her like his life depended on it. She hugged him back, holding onto him like it would somehow help keep her dad and Gillian safe. Silent tears ran down her face as she internally prayed, 'Please let them be ok. Please let them be ok.'

* * *

Slipping a few cars further up under the cover of Lightman's cockney accent, Wallowski kept his form in her periphery. Ducking quickly behind the hood of a sedan when she saw Lightman's form dive between two cars on his right, her brain automatically prepared her for the shots that rang out.

'So this is how they want to play it?' she thought. Jumping up behind the sedan she yelled out above the gun fire. "D.C. P.D. Freeze! Drop your weapons!"

Knowing full well they were not going to listen, she immediately dropped back down to the ground as car windows around her exploded.

* * *

Ria heard one of the men yell "cop" followed by a stream of cuss words in another language. Had she been interested in analyzing the man's voice, she would have easily gauged the shock at a police presence. But Torrez was more interested in making it out of this alive.

As if the profanities were not enough to emphasize their displeasure, the men promptly began shooting at Shazzer.

Ria had no idea what the detective was thinking, except from her vantage point, she could see that Lightman was using the distraction to sneak around the car he was behind and creep up along the wall. He was moving closer to the running car.

When the men stopped shooting, Ria watched Wallowski return fire. She was positioned between a mini-van that had backed into the parking spot and an old sedan. Ria came around the back of the van and stayed there. She had no idea where the bullets might ricochet.

Part of her desperately wanted to go back and hide with Emily and Robert. It was that childhood Ria, the helpless kid that she had fought tooth and nail to bury. The adult part of her, the part that faced adversity with stubbornness and sheer will, refused to run and hide. It wanted to stay close to Sharon, to help her in any way it could.

So Torrez stayed rooted to the spot, watching as Wallowski called out, "Throw down your weapons and put your hands on your head."

The men responded by firing at her.

* * *

"Agron Shehu," Ben's voice was clear and authoritative. "You are under arrest in connection with the kidnapping of Doctor Gillian Foster and attempted interference with an ongoing federal investigation. You have the right to remain silent. If you give up that right, anything you say, can and _will_ be held against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed to you. Do you understand these rights as I have explained them to you?"

"Yes Agent Reynolds." Agron sneered. "I understand you perfectly."

"Then turn around." Ben held the handcuffs up.

"That really won't be necessary." Shehu eyed Ben. "I'm willing to come along peacefully. As are my men." Agron turned as if he was looking at them to confirm their agreement, but in reality his eyes never left Reynold's face. The men of course nodded without looking at Agron. They too were focused on Ben and the other agents.

"Ben?" Prefti approached him from the side and gently laid a hand on his shoulders. "We …"

But whatever it was Agent Prefti had planned to say was interrupted by the loud retorts of gun fire echoing in the parking deck from behind them.

Instantly, all hell broke loose. The agents and Shehu's men scattered seeking cover and drawing their weapons for protection.

* * *

Cal was now almost in line with the hood of their car. For some reason they seemed to have forgotten about the crazy loud Englishman. Which was good news for him. Glancing quickly around the hood, he spotted the smaller man sneaking around the driver's side of the car. It appeared that he was planning to get back into the driver's seat, presumably to take off in the car.

'Shit!' Cal thought as he lowered himself back down, resting his back briefly on the hood of the parked car behind him. He couldn't let them take off with Gillian; he might never find her again. But there was no way to communicate this to Wallowski without blowing his own cover.

* * *

"Lower your weapons and come out with your hands up." Wallowski called out when there was a pause in gun fire. She had no doubt they would continue to ignore her. Her hope was to distract them enough to buy Lightman time.

Surprisingly, a heavily accented voice responded, "You come out first cop," followed by a pause. Then he laughed and said, "Maybe we don't kill you," before he resumed firing at her.

'Fucking asshole,' she thought as she retreated further back behind the car for better protection.

* * *

It was utter bedlam. No one knew from which direction the gun fire was coming as the sound echoed throughout the parking deck.

The FBI had their weapons aimed at Shehu's men demanding they stop shooting, while the Albanian boys had their guns pointed right back.

"Cease fire and throw down your weapons." Prefti called out across the parking deck to Shehu's boys.

"We aren't the ones shooting Agent Prefti and my men will not lower their weapons until we know who is firing at us." Agron's voice could be heard loud and clear in response to Prefti's demand.

"This is the FBI! Lower your weapons." Reynolds' demand was met with silence and no action on the part of Shehu and his men.

"We need to know who is shooting." Prefti directed his comment at Ben. The older agent was squatting next to Reynolds behind the hood of a blue sedan.

Looking around for the source of the gun fire, Ben's eyes rose to the ceiling. He spotted a camera which gave him an idea. "Give me a second." Reynolds met Prefti's eyes to receive confirmation. "I'm gonna find out."

Prefti nodded as Ben circled low behind him. He hit Ben's back in a further sign of confirmation. Taking Ben's now unoccupied space at the far end of the hood. He reengaged with Shehu and his men. "This is the FBI. We demand you throw down your weapons now!"

Prefti didn't expect compliance but wanted to give Reynolds cover. The agent's voice echoing through the parking lot was more than enough noise to drown out Ben's footsteps.

Reynold's for his part swiftly made his way back toward the entrance to the hotel. Slipping past cars, he pulled his phone out and scrolled to the correct number. Rounding a corner in the parking deck, he scanned for any of Shehu's men. Noting the scene was clear, he took a few quick steps to the door, opened it and slipped inside already dialing Eli.

* * *

Cal heard the pop of the driver's door opening despite the man's attempt to cover it with his voice. He took the chance to skirt up one more car length. Stopping he took a steadying breath. He'd made it; he was now in line with the running vehicle.

Despite his attempts to calm himself, his heart still hammered in his chest. Perhaps that was best. He always seemed to operate better when running on adrenaline. It had a clarifying quality it did.

His mind ran through his half formed plan. He needed to get to the trunk before they put Gillian in. He had to time it just right. Leaning back against the hood of the vehicle he was hiding behind, he glanced up. Cal wasn't a praying man, but perhaps the circumstances justified the moment for him. There were two things in the world he couldn't lose.

That one look up, though, changed everything. It was roulette and he had hit double 00. Right above him, somehow unbeknownst to the two Albanian hit men, was one of those round reflection mirrors to enable drivers to see around corners. Reflected in the mirror, Cal could see each man's every step.

Cal was just given everything he'd need to time this just right.

* * *

"Loker? What the hell is going on? We've got shooting down here in the parking deck. Where the hell is it coming from?"

Eli knew who it was without having to check his phone. Ben's voice betrayed both the adrenaline and the tension he was feeling.

For his part Eli didn't respond in normal Loker fashion. There was no running commentary or explanation of what he was doing as his fingers flew over the typewriter. Eli could tell Ben didn't have the patience for that and the circumstances warranted a quick response.

It was only seconds before Loker's voice brought them both up short, "Lightman?"

Ben stopped dead in his tracks.

Eli literally jumped forward in his chair to get closer to the screen. "Holy crap! Lightman's hiding behind a van in the parking deck. There's two men in the middle of the road. They've got a car running. One just dropped something… on the ground…" Eli paused in mid-sentence as he pulled up another video feed. The pause grew longer as his brain tried to digest what it was seeing on the screen.

"Oh crap Ben. It's Gillian. Holy shit, it's Foster on the ground." The panic in Eli's voice was causing his voice to raise an octave. "Ben, they've got the trunk open. Ben they're trying to take her in the car..."

Eli shook unable to pull his eyes from the screen. He couldn't remember ever feeling so useless.

There was nothing he could do to stop this.

* * *

Rotating on his hips, Cal prepared himself to jump up on a moment's notice and take off running. He watched as the driver got into the car. The man transferred the gun he was holding to his left hand and stuck his arm up over the hood of the car through the opening between the door and the windshield. This wasn't a good angle for him to fire, but he attempted it anyway. The shots were obviously meant solely to distract Wallowski because the bullets were bouncing off the ceiling. The driver wasn't watching where he was aiming the weapon, instead he was reaching with his right hand to put the car into drive.

At the same time, the giant brute in the back slipped his gun into the trunk and bent to lift Gillian's unconscious form. Time seemed to slow down. Cal sprung up at the exact moment the big guy's knees extended upwards to lift Gillian. He employed all those years of drunk fights in the pubs to his advantage, plowing into the man and using the upward motion of his legs against him.

All three of them went flying. Gillian rolled out of the big man's arms and across the concrete floor. The big man smacked his head on the ground having not expected the blow from Cal. Cal, on the other hand, rolled with the fall and scrambled up almost immediately and slammed the trunk down.

The trunk slamming must have been a signal for the driver, because he reached across and popped open the side door. But when the big guy didn't get in, he turned and spotted Cal grinning like a Cheshire cat. The driver was not pleased and turned toward Cal with his gun.

* * *

Wallowski again ducked behind a car to hide from the random spray of bullets heading in her direction. The pattern of fire was more haphazard than before telling her that they were using it as cover rather than specifically aiming at her.

Another noise drew her attention and she risked a glance over the hood of the car. She saw the large figure topple over toward the ground and whatever he had been holding go flying before she ducked back down. The sound of the trunk slamming spurred her to risk another glance around the car.

There standing behind the car with a huge grin on his face was Cal Lightman. Movement caught her eye as the driver was pulling his left hand, holding the gun which had been firing at her back into the car. She heard someone scream "Lightman!" from behind her.

Turning around she jumped up automatically and grabbed Ria tackling her backwards behind the parked cars before the woman could endanger herself.

"What the fuck!" She whispered vehemently in Torrez's ear. "Stay here!" Emphasizing the spot with her finger pointed down, Wallowski turned and risked a glance over the hood of the vehicle she was now huddled behind.

* * *

Unconsciously, as he listened to Loker, Reynolds reentered the hotel and began walking back in the direction he had left Lightman. "Where Loker? Where are they?"

But Loker didn't respond. He was too riveted by what he was watching unfold on the screen: one of the men was moving to get into the drivers' side of the running car.

Pulling up another feed, Eli whispered "Wallowski?" She had just popped up from behind a car on the other side of the parking deck.

"LOKER!" Ben's voice broke through the young man's haze.

"Uh, yeah Ben, sorry…" Loker typed a few buttons. "Wallowski's with Lightman. They're in the parking deck. She's on the right side opposite Lightman."

Reynolds turned around in the hallway as if to head back toward Agent Prefti and the team.

"No!" Ben stopped at Eli's shout. "Not that way. Go down three hallways. There's an entrance there that's closer."

Ben began to run in that direction. "Are the men the ones who are shooting?" He asked through rapid breaths.

"Yeah, and Wallowski's returning fire." Eli confirmed pulling up several feeds. "I'm still only seeing the two men there."

"Good." Ben's response was short, conserving his breath. The man was sprinting down the hall, and he wasn't as young as he used to be.

"You're almost there Ben. Up ahead on the left, around the corner, there's a door to the parking lot. When you exit go right. They'll be around a few more bends."

Ben nodded knowing Loker would see it on his screen. He was too focused on following Eli's directions. Ben rounded the corner with his gun drawn in front of him and spotted the door to the parking deck. The last thing he heard before ending the call was Eli's whisper.

"Ben, be careful."

* * *

Broken glass rained down on Cal and he did the best to cover his head.

Luckily the driver's shooting arm had been draped across the windshield in his efforts to distract Walloski. This had afforded Lightman time to drop below the trunk before the driver was able to pull his arm around and shoot out the back glass.

Cal heard someone yell his name followed by the sound of more shooting.

Then the driver called out, "Veton! Tani! Tani!"

A groan from his side, alerted Cal to the big man's rising. The large man sat up and shook his head, apparently oblivious to the chaos around him. Something must have registered however, when he caught Cal's eye. Murderous rage tore through those cold eyes as the massive man's hands went for his gun.

But fate was on Lightman's side yet again. The big man had dropped the gun in the trunk before picking up Gillian. Cal had shut the trunk. The man's hands were searching his body for the now safely locked up gun. Cal's grin froze however when the realization spread over the large brute's face. The big man didn't need a gun to cause Cal harm. He stood up and his massive size towered over Lightman. Grinning he drew back a colossal fist.

Cal knew he was in for an epic beating and threw his arms over his face in a desperate attempt to defend himself. But nothing could prepare him for the massive fist that broke through his feeble defense, smashing his nose and blackened both eyes in one go. There was a rattling noise in his ears. When he attempted to open his now swollen eyes the world was spinning.

It took far too long for Cal to be able to focus on the detail of the man's face. It was almost like the huge man was waiting for Cal to be able to see his awful smirk before he pulled back that massive fist again. Cal couldn't even raise his arms this time in an attempt to defend himself.

But the punch never landed.

Instead he was falling backwards and felt his head strike the concrete.

* * *

Huddling behind the cars, Ria and Sharon exchanged surprised glances when they heard a door bang open from somewhere far behind Lightman. It was followed by the sound of running footsteps and shouts of "FBI! Freeze!"

Torrez broke out into a grin and Wallowski couldn't help but agree. The cavalry had finally arrived.

Then the ricochet of gunshots rang out.

"Fuck!" Wallowski hissed under her breath. The fear on Ria's face was mirrored in her own.

* * *

Ben burst through the door of the parking lot and swept the area. Spotting movement out of the corner of his left eye caused him to jump behind the nearest car just in time. He heard a voice that sounded suspiciously like Agent Prefti's call out "FBI, Freeze!"

The sounds of running footsteps preceded gunfire. Shots blasted through the glass above Ben's head, sending little pieces raining down around him.

A pause in the gunfire, led Ben to pop out from behind the car to quickly assess the situation. From what he could tell several agents, along with Prefti were exchanging fire with a few of Shehu's men.

The Albanians appeared to be inching their way closer to Ben, heading in the direction of Lightman and Foster. Perhaps they were back up to the two goons trying to kidnap Gillian.

'Not on my watch.' Ben thought to himself. Taking another quick glance he noticed something. While Prefti and his agents were engaging with the few men in the center of the parking lot, a lone figure was pressed against the wall, sneaking his way toward Ben, using the shooting as cover to dart between vehicles.

Risking another check to determine if he was in fact correct, Ben grinned smugly to himself. It was the damn devil himself.

'Well Agron,' Ben laughed internally, 'looks like it's just you and me.'

* * *

"Oy." Cal moaned before sitting halfway back up. The sound of running footsteps and cries of "FBI! Freeze!" followed by more gun fire echoed around him.

The brute that had let him go unceremoniously was now looking frantically around his feet. Cal focused as best he could on the man's features. Fear… no … panic registered on the big guy's face.

The brute stopped searching, his eyes had found Gillian's prone form several feet to his right. Cal watched the big man's face struggle with a decision. The large man risked a glance back toward the approaching footsteps. Cal could tell the man was weighing the time it would take to run over and grab Gillian with the closeness of the shouting runners.

As weak as he was, Cal didn't know what he could physically do to stop the man from touching Gil. But dammit he would not let him take her. Even if it killed him.

* * *

Wallowski again ducked when a random spray of bullets began to be fired loosely in her direction. Their pattern indicated to her that they were firing at her for cover and not actually aiming at her. Not that it mattered. A stray bullet could still ricochet and cause either her or Torrez some serious damage.

A lightbulb blew overhead causing Ria to jump at her side.

'Why hadn't she advised her to stay with Emily?' It wasn't safe here and it wasn't safe sending her back at the moment either.

She turned around and prepared herself to fire back when there was an opening. Assuming Cal was still behind the car, firing back caused her more concerns. Not that inadvertently hitting Lightman in the ass wouldn't be deserved, and potentially pleasant for her, but she didn't want to cause him any real damage. The realization actually surprised her a little bit and she found herself smirking.

"What?" Ria whispered staring at Sharon's face.

Wallowski just shook her head. Leave it to Torrez to read her face in a moment like this.

"You're boss." She replied shaking her head. "He's in my line of fire."

Ria's eyebrows rose before she nodded as if in understanding. "If you can," Ria told her, "aim for his smug British ass."

Wallowski's face broke out in a huge grin followed by Torrez returning the smile. It was an odd circumstance for humor but Sharon was used to the adrenaline playing out in weird ways. Not her first rodeo.

"I was thinking the exact same thing." Sharon responded.

"I could tell." Torrez pointed at Wallowski's face.

Abruptly Sharon turned away, acting as if she was preparing to check the car again. In reality, she needed to hide her features from the younger woman. Ria was getting way too good at reading her and she didn't to expose her current thoughts.

Wallowski had just felt a pull deep in her gut. One she had promptly rebuffed. A major realization was running through her mind: if the situation had been different she might just have kissed Torrez.

* * *

The Shehu brother never saw it coming.

Anticipating Agron's path, Ben had himself snuck down the parking deck along the opposite wall. Once he'd rounded a bend in the deck, he quickly moved across to the other side and hid behind a parked Tahoe. Silently he'd waited for Shehu to arrive.

The brother had been too busy looking over his shoulder at the agents exchanging fire with his men, to notice Ben until it was too late.

This time there was no delay in Reynold's actions. Slamming Agron to the ground, he quickly had him in handcuffs. Checking Shehu's pockets, Ben expected to find a weapon, but to his surprise there was only a cellphone. Glancing at the screen, Reynolds realized it was on. He heard a question being asked in another language.

"Agron? Agron!?" the voice asked frantically.

Pulling his gun out and pointing it at Shehu's temple, Ben pushed the man in the head with the barrel. Though Agron's face snarled back at Reynolds, Ben could see something resembling fear in the Albanian's eyes.

"Call off your boys, NOW!" He demanded. "And don't even _think_ about any funny business."

Agron glared at Ben before swallowing and nodding. The slick man had been caught; and he knew it.

Ben held up the phone in front of Shehu's mouth. The man on the other end could still be heard calling to Agron, but the voice immediately stopped talking when Agron spoke, his voice rolling out solemnly. "Ndaluar. Shtroni armët tuaja."

There was a pause before he finished with, "Tani."

* * *

Cal gritted his teeth and tried to roll onto his knees when he heard the giant man grunt in frustration. The big lug's decision had been made.

Cal released the breath he hadn't known he'd been holding. The man had decided he didn't have time to grab Gillian. Instead the brute turned and jumped into the running car. Before he even shut the door, the tires made an awful squealing sound as the driver slammed on the gas.

Rolling over to cover his face from the exhaust fumes, Cal heard the car take off behind him. As he got to his knees, he risked a glance at Gillian and thanked Lady luck for still being with him.

That was three double zeroes. He wouldn't expect a fourth.

* * *

The noise of that followed Shehu's pronouncement of "Tani" shocked not only Reynolds but the other agents. Guns were being thrown out into the open. Men were holding their hands on their heads and slowly stepping out from behind cars. The Albanians were nothing if not loyal.

Though shocked the agents reaction was swift. They were on the men and handcuffing them before leading them off toward the waiting FBI envoy idling in front of the lobby.

Prefti and a handful of agents were shocked when Ben came strolling toward them with Agron Shehu cuffed in front of him. Before they could even ask Reynolds what had happened. The man shook his head, handed over Agron to Prefti's custody, then turned and bolted off toward Foster and Lightman.

Prefti motioned with his head towards a few of his agents, signaling they should follow Reynolds. Then turning he dragged Agron Shehu off reminding him yet again of his rights. There would be no technicalities on this one.

* * *

The noise of the car taking off, cleared Wallowski of all other thoughts. Jumping up as the vehicle sped past, she ran out behind it. Taking aim she attempted to shoot out the vehicle's tires, but the car was careening back and forth as the driver zig zagged.

Sharon saw that the passenger side door of the car was not closed. She watched as the large man in the seat turned around stretching his hand out the opening. Time seemed to slow down. He had a gun. As it rounded around toward her she raised her own gun to fire back, knowing somehow that there wasn't enough time.

Later Sharon Wallowski would swear she had saw the actual spark as the bullet left the chamber.

Focused as she was on the anticipation of being shot, she was unprepared when something slammed into her right side knocking her to the ground. Her face first smacked and then scraped against the concrete floor. Everything went black.

* * *

Somewhere in the periphery of his vision Cal spotted Wallowski running out behind the vehicle. He realized she was shooting at its tires. The side door of the car caught his attention. Specifically the giant man's arm which was extending out of the opening with a gun.

With no time to think, Cal launched himself off the ground and spread his body over Gillian in an effort to protect her. The shots rang out but Cal felt nothing, no pain or impact pressure. The gun shots stopped as the sound of the car turning a hard left out of the lot signaled to Cal that the men were gone.

* * *

Ria had no time to think about her actions, no time to debate what she was doing. Instinct took over as she watched the man pull his arm around to aim his gun at Wallowski.

Throwing every inch of herself into the lunge, she leapt off her feet toward the detective. The only thought in her mind was to stop Sharon from being hurt.

* * *

Reynolds heard one last gunshot coming from in front of him, as he approached the next bend in the parking deck. Then only eerie silence met his ears. Picking up the pace, he sprinted around the bend just in time to see the tail end of a vehicle taking a hard left on two tires. It sped out of the parking deck.

Too late to do anything about the car, Reynolds stopped and took in the scene in front of him. To his right he saw Lightman shielding someone on the ground. He watched as Cal sat up and looked over at a pair of prone figures in the middle of the road. Following his gaze, Ben recognized the two dark haired females. It was Wallowski and Torrez.

* * *

Loker hadn't been sitting idly in the control room while everything played out in the parking deck.

From the control room, he'd been able to lock down corridors, doors, and elevators thus preventing any civilians from accidentally getting into the fray. Informing the hotel liaison of his actions, he'd also convinced the man to institute emergency procedures to protect the guests.

Contacting both the FBI office and the local P.D. he'd arranged for back up. They assured him that they'd be on the scene shortly. The FBI contact had demanded to know where Prefti, Reynolds, and the undercover agents were located. Luckily, Loker could tell them based on the video feeds he was monitoring closely.

He was watching so intently in fact, that he had seen Lightman's close calls. Both times he had been shocked that the Brit was still alive. Realizing the man's luck had to run out eventually, he also told the local P.D. that an ambulance was needed in the parking deck. Not wanting them to be hurt, he reminded them that there was active shooting at the scene.

They'd wanted Eli to stay on the line, but he had too much to do and told them as much. After unceremoniously hanging up over their protests, he checked back over the entrances to the parking deck. He wanted to make sure he had successfully locked them all down. Loker jumped out of his seat when he spotted a familiar face on the video screen. Emily was huddled down in a corner by the stairwell closest to the escalating situation with Lightman. She was clutching a small boy tightly next to her.

Not giving it a second thought, Eli left in search of her; the only thought on his mind was bringing her back to the room safely. Having rushed out of the room, Loker never saw the last few minutes of the fight.

He never saw Wallowski jump up and shoot at the car as it careened out of the parking deck.

He never saw Lightman cover Foster with his own body, protecting her from the gunshot that rang out from the passenger side of the car.

He never saw Torrez throw herself into Wallowski, knocking the woman to the ground.

Eli Loker had no idea that Lightman wouldn't need the ambulance he had requested, someone else would.


	8. Chapter 8

The Most Magical Place on Earth – Chapter 8: ?

* * *

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you for your patience. Thank you for pushing me to continue. Thank you for reading! For enjoying! For commenting! And for all the motivation and love. I cannot express enough how much you have all helped me with this endeavor. You are such a big part of how this story has unfolded.

Please let me know what you think. I already have another 10,000 words written for the next chapter. I won't make promises, but I'm hoping to get it posted very soon! It will likely be the final 'official' chapter (I'm toying with including an epilogue).

I'm struggling with naming this chapter 8. I've toyed with "Evolution," or "Roles," or even "Changes." What do you think? If you have a better chapter name for me to use, Post it! Winner gets bragging rights and a special shout out!

Special thanks to Lurker23 for the extra special comments and feedback! Special thanks to Lurker23 for the extra special comments and feedback! Special thanks to Lurker23 for the extra special comments and feedback! 😉

As always, a very special shout out to Tangledupandsideways. Without her, much of this would never have happened. Thank you for all the help and the inspiration!

* * *

I do not own Lie to Me, the characters, dialogue, or events in the episodes.

* * *

Reynolds pulled out his phone and hit speed dial.

"Officer down, I repeat Officer down. We need back up now."

The sound of his voice reverberated through the eerily quiet lot.

"We're in the parking deck of the Animal Kingdom resort. Get an ambulance here right away…"

* * *

"Emily?" His concerned voice carried softly into the stairwell. Stepping cautiously through the now open door he gazed around looking for Lightman's daughter. The sounds of shuffling from under the stairs caught his attention. "It's ok. You can come out."

"Loker?" Emily's face peeked around the corner, followed shortly by another, younger, face tucked under Em's arm at her side.

"And you must be Robert." Eli saw the flash of suspicion in the boy's eyes and tried to explain his presence. "It's ok. Em knows me. I work with her dad."

"You… you're friends with Cal?" Robert's voice was shaky but he stepped out from under Emily's protective hold and sized Loker up.

Despite the situation, Emily snorted a laugh, "I wouldn't say 'friends' exactly." Walking past Robert, she sucker punched Eli in the arm earning a 'hey' as the tall man rubbed the spot.

"But he's ok," she told Robert pulling him back under her arm in a half hug. Despite Loker's presence, she still felt on edge. She had promised her dad that she would keep the kid safe. Having him next to her made her feel better about keeping that promise.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence." Loker grumbled.

"Why are you here?" Emily asked watching Eli's face for signs of deception.

"I saw you in the camera feeds…" Loker started to explain but was cut off promptly by an incredulous mini-Lightman.

"You've been watching us!" Emily hit him again for emphasis. "So you've seen my dad!"

"And Gillian?" Robert chimed in.

"Where is he? Is he ok? Is Gillian ok?" Each question was marked with another slap. Eli held his arms up to ward off her blows.

"Hey! Stop hitting me and I'll tell you what I know." Loker's words cut through Emily's panic and she finally stopped pelting him. "Look," he continued, "Let's go back to the control room and we can talk…"

Simultaneous 'No's met his request.

"I'm not leaving without Gillian." Robert crossed his arms across his chest.

Emily nodded in agreement with the boy, crossing her own arms over her chest. "Or dad." She added.

"God, you're just like him." Eli uttered under his breath. He was pretty sure her chest puffed out with pride at his comment. "Fine. You're dad and Gillian are …" Loker trailed off, unsure of how to end that statement. Instead he gazed at Emily, not hiding the fear in his eyes.

Her eyes reflected back the same fear, but also something else: an appreciation that he wasn't hiding his concern from her.

"Look," he paused, thinking of a new tactic. "I know you don't want to leave. But…" He held up his hands at the beginning of their renewed protest. Quickly shifting his eyes toward Robert, he relayed a silent message to Emily to consider the kid, before continuing with his explanation. "If _we_ go to the control room, _we_ can see what's going on with your dad," Eli looked pointedly at Emily. "And with Gillian," he gazed at Robert.

Ruminating over this proposal, Em and Robert exchanged glances. At the same time they looked back to Eli and nodded their agreement.

"Ok." He nodded back at them biting his lower lip. Walking to the door, he held it open and watched them file past him into the hotel hallway. Lightman would be happy that he was able to get Emily somewhere safe. But Eli knew it was a small win. How he'd handle the feed when they got back to the room was another matter.

* * *

Cal was pretty sure he was in shock. He sat up and looked over at Shazzer's form lying unmoving on the ground.

Cal had been wrong. The big man hadn't intended to hit Gillian at all.

He sat up and stared at the cop, willing her to move. There was something on top of her. Before his mind could ascertain what he was seeing, he felt a hand on his arm and looked down.

"Cal?" Those beautiful blue eyes were squinting up at him with confusion. He could tell that whatever they had drugged Gillian with was still in her system, clouding her comprehension. A familiar struggle warred within him. He looked down at her and then hesitated, glancing back over at Sharon.

"Cal?" A little more clarity, along with a request. Looking back down at Gillian he recognized that she was asking for help to sit up. As gently as possible, he raised her up in his arms, setting her against his side and not letting go.

Watching his face with confusion and curiosity, she followed his gaze as it returned to Wallowski's unconscious form. Out of the corner of his eye he watched as recognition swept across her face. Gillian's mouth pinched even as her eyes filled with concern. It amazed him the boundlessness of her compassion. Although hurt by the mistaken belief that he was in a relationship with Sharon, Gillian's concern for Wallowski trumped her own pain.

"Go."

He barely heard the whisper. Looking at Gillian, he confirmed that she had in fact said something.

Not meeting his eyes but still gazing intensely at Sharon, she repeated the word; this time with more strength. "Go!"

Looking briefly at Shazzer, his eyes returned to Gillian. He shook his head. "No, luv."

She looked up at him with real shock and then a mixture of disgust and confusion as she tried to read his features to better understand him. She always gave him the benefit of the doubt.

'Don't deserve her,' the thought rose in his mind as it had done thousands of times before. But this time, he brushed it aside. It didn't matter if he didn't deserve her, she chose him and he would do everything in his power to live up to her belief in him.

"Not my place Gil. Never was." Realization of what he was trying to tell her softened her features to him. Her hand unconsciously found its rightful place over his heart and he smiled gently at her.

"She… she needs you Cal…" Gillian tried to protest but Cal cut her off.

"No, luv. You need me." Cal countered. Those beautiful baby blues were tearing up under the intensity of his gaze. He would hide nothing from them. Not anymore. Not ever again. Looking back over at Sharon, he smirked then returned to Gillian's gaze and nodded in the detective's direction. "And anyway she's got someone else looking out for her."

* * *

Wallowski sat up very slowly, raising a hand to her forehead and finding it covered in blood when she pulled it away. "Ugh," she moaned. Her body felt like it had been hit by a freight train. Trying to sit up further, she realized there was a weight on her lower limbs. Looking down she saw a pile of dark brown hair. She squinted at the woman as her hand gently ran itself over the dark locks.

'What happened?' she thought to herself. Her mind went to the last thing it remembered: Lightman.

'That British ass was trying to stop those men from taking Foster,' she recalled, 'in the parking lot…' Looking around at the cars and the shattered glass triggered her memory further. 'Those men were shooting at us… then they took off in the car…'

"Tires," she mumbled in a whisper. She had attempted to shoot out their tires, when one of them … had shot at her.

Looking down at her chest she began to frantically pat herself. But she felt no pain nor evidence of a bullet wound. Her body was sore as shit, but the soreness was a familiar one, likely caused by bruising. She hadn't been shot… she'd been tackled to the ground.

Her hand was buried in the dark tresses of the head that was now in her lap, having rolled there when Sharon managed to sit up. Wallowski looked more intently at the woman.

"Ria!" As gently as she could, she rolled the young woman's body over, cradling Torrez's head in her arms. That's when she saw the blood.

"NO!" She yelled frantically searching for the source.

"Wallowski, you alright?" She heard Ben's voice but it didn't register.

"No, no, no, no, no." The repetitive word spilled out of her as she finally located the bullet's entry and pressed firmly down on it with her hands. More blood seemed to squirt out of the hole. "God dammit. NO!"

In the back of her mind, she acknowledged Reynolds' presence as he kneeled next to her, removing both his jacket and shirt. He folded the jacket and after carefully lifting Torrez up, he slid it underneath her.

Probably to staunch the bleeding from the exit wound, Sharon's mind registered dully. She stared blankly at Reynolds, watching as he tore his shirt into strips. Then her training took over, taking the pieces of torn fabric when he handed them to her. Automatically, she began to press them into the wound.

If she hadn't been in shock, she would have acknowledged her gratitude to Ben when he didn't try to take over. He seemed to understand that she needed to do this herself.

Removing one hand from the wound, she grabbed more strips. As quickly as possible, she pressed them into the entry wound.

She was so focused on Ria that she jumped when Ben yelled into his phone, "Where's that ambulance dammit!"

As if in response to his demand, the sounds of a siren began to shrill in the near distance. Each second it grew louder in her ears. She just hoped they made it in time.

"Hold on Ria. Please. Just hold on." She whispered to the unresponsive Torrez.

* * *

"Seriously Loker, come on. You're taking longer than … my dad making beans on toast!" Emily huffed, exasperated at the pace of her father's colleague.

It was true, Eli had slowed the closer they got to the surveillance room. He still had not concocted a plan as to how to view the feed before Emily or Robert.

"I'm just being cautious Em..." Loker's mind went into overdrive when they rounded the corner of the hall and spotted the door to their temporary control room.

"Finally." Emily sighed and ran over to the door.

"Hang on!" Loker whispered forcefully as he wedged himself between the door and Emily and Robert. He was using his body to block their entrance. "I… um…" Glancing around, he thought up something quick. "I need to… secure the room before I can let you in."

Emily crossed her arms and cocked her hip, eyebrow raised in disbelief. "Secure the room?" she asked nonplussed. Robert glanced between her and Eli, obviously confused.

"Just… give me a second alright." Eli held his hand up in a gesture of stop. "I want to make sure it's safe before I let …. er …" Loker caught the look of stubborn defiance flash on Emily's face with his choice of words and quickly shifted his approach. "I mean before … _we_ … all go in." Eli waved toward each of them in turn as he emphasized the fact that they would be acting as a team. His eyes caught on Robert's face and he realized he could use the kid as leverage. Glancing pointedly at Em, he nodded his head in the direction of the boy, indicating that this was for the kid's benefit.

It worked, partially. He could see her soften toward the idea, but there was still hints of distrust and resentment on her features.

"I'll be back in like two seconds." He didn't wait for a response. Didn't want to push his luck. Instead, he ducked into the room closing the door behind him. When Emily didn't immediately rush the door he let out a quick sigh of relief, before hopping onto the rolling chair and pushing himself in the direction of the desk. His keys hit the computer and began typing profusely. His password now entered, Eli keyed up the feeds to the parking lot.

The gunfire had ceased. Thank god.

The car was gone too.

And there were several figures on the ground. They weren't moving.

"Shit!" he whispered under his breath as he pulled up multiple angles of the feed.

That was definitely Lightman. He was laying on top of Foster. Eli couldn't tell if they were breathing.

The other figure looked like Wallowski. Someone was laying on top of her and there was a dark patch spreading out from underneath them both.

Was that blood?

Eli's insides felt like lead as he noticed the dark hair of the figure on top of Walloski.

"Nooooooo." The moan issued from him involuntarily as he begged whatever deities were out there for his suspicions to not be confirmed. 'Please, don't let that be Ria! Please, please.'

"Loker, what? What is it?!" Emily ran over to the computers with Robert close beside her.

Eli couldn't speak. He hadn't even heard her enter the room.

Managing to pull his gaze from the feed, he glanced at Em's face, easily reading the worry there. He watched the moment her eyes found her father's prone form.

"Dad!" she cried out, despair evident on her face. "Oh my God, NO!" She turned burying her face in Eli's shoulder and crying. He hugged her but his actions were on autopilot. The truth was he felt just as lost as she did.

Robert moved closer to the screen, tears welling in his eyes. He could see Cal and Gillian. They looked like they were sleeping. Then he saw the other ladies on the ground together, the ones from the room. Worried, Robert looked up at Michael questioningly. But Michael just told him to keep watching the screen, so he did.

"Gillian!" Robert called out in excitement causing Eli and Emily to jump and turn towards him in shock. "They moved Em!" The little boy cried out as he pointed at the prone figures on the screen.

Loker pulled the key pad toward him and blew the images up even more. Staring unblinkingly at the screen, he confirmed that the kid had been right. They were moving. In fact, Lightman looked like he was trying to sit up.

"Yes! They're moving! Look dad's sitting up. Gillian's hand moved." Emily responded excitedly, brushing the tears from her cheeks.

Watching the screen closely, Loker saw Wallowski was also sitting up. The only one not moving… was Ria.

"Eli?" Emily asked placing her hand on his arm. Turning from the screen, her expression pulled him up short. Before this moment, he'd only ever seen it on one person: Lightman. It was the exact same expression her dad wore whenever he was about to rush off on one of his escapades.

"We need get to them _now!_ " she demanded.

Loker didn't hesitate. Rising from the chair, he headed toward the door, knowing they'd be right behind him. "Follow me."

* * *

"Jesus Fucking Christ!"

The scream overpowered the noise of the blaring siren and the various sounds emanating from the chaotic parking lot. It was followed quickly by a string of expletives shouted in Spanish. The enraged and now awake Torrez was yelling at the EMTs attempting to move her onto the stretcher.

"Ria! Ria estas bien." Sharon whispered to the irate younger woman while gently petting her hair.

Despite the situation and the eyebrow raising words emitting from the young angry Ria, the detective realized she was smiling. The relief she felt was almost overwhelming.

Torrez was alive!

 _And_ , Sharon realized, still fighting the EMTs. "Calmate chiquita, calmate." Wallowski spoke gently in Spanish.

Ria looked in her direction as her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

Sharon moved closer so Torrez could see her better. "Estara bien chiquita. Calmate." The detective continued in a soothing voice.

Ria's eyes connected with Sharon's; her pupils registering recognition. She stopped flailing around and ceased screaming. Her eyes filled with unshed tears.

Moving even closer, Wallowski hesitated only a moment, before reaching out and placing her hand gently on the top of Ria's head. Of their own volition, her fingers gently caressed Torrez's hair. So focused on the dark eyes, it was a moment before she realized the soft singing was coming from her. Her brain had latched on to something that had calmed her in childhood. It was the song her Abuela had used to sing to her as a child.

Wallowski could feel her own heartbeat slow down as she too was calmed by the gentle Spanish lyrics. She was surprised how clearly the words came back to her. It seemed to be helping Ria too. The woman's breathing was becoming more regular and her eyelids appeared to be getting heavy.

"Detective?"

It took Sharon a minute to realize that the young EMT had been addressing her. Turning from Ria, she looked questioningly at the woman.

"We need to move her into the ambulance now." Wallowski's face must have shown her consternation, because the EMT continued. "You can ride along with us to the hospital."

Walloski nodded. Turning back to Ria, she immediately saw fear in the now wide-open eyes. "No tengas miedo, chicita." Sharon whispered, "Estoy aqui. Estare justo aqui. Lo Prometo."

Wallowski kept her promise staying right beside Torrez as the younger woman was lifted up into the ambulance. Setting herself down on the seat next to Ria's head, opposite where the EMTs were working, she reached out and took Torrez's hand in hers.

The younger woman was drifting in and out of consciousness, but Sharon refused to let go of her hand. In the background she could hear the EMTs relaying the details to the hospital. Though the ride was short it felt like an eternity.

As they pulled into the parking lot of the Emergency room, Ria gave a hard squeeze to Sharon's hand. Looking down at the younger woman's face, Wallowski could tell she wanted to say something but it was hard to hear over the noise from the EMTs and through the oxygen mask on Torrez's face. She leaned closer to be able to hear.

"No me dejes," Ria pleaded as the doors to the ambulance opened.

Sharon squeezed Torrez's hand in response, never breaking eye contact with the younger woman. "Nunca. Estaré aquí cuando te despiertes."

* * *

Ben Reynolds felt like a chicken with its head cut off. He was _literally_ running around in circles.

At least the damned ambulance had arrived.

Ben ran his hand over his head. That siren had been a welcome relief. Finding Torrez bleeding in Walloski's lap had not been how he'd wanted the day to play out.

Whether it was true or not Ben still felt to blame. He had brought her here as part of his team. She was his responsibility.

Finding her like that on the ground, had been… rough. He'd intended to help more, but when he saw the look on Sharon's face, well, he realized his own guilt would have to wait to be assuaged. Instead, he had ripped off his shirt, tearing it into strips, then handed the pieces to Sharon to press into the wound to help slow the bleeding.

Must have worked, 'cause the EMTs seemed grateful. One had even thanked Ben after loading Torrez and Wallowski in the back of the ambulance. Reynolds just stared at him in surprise. He'd been so concerned about Ria and Sharon, that he couldn't figure out why the man was thanking him. The EMT must have caught the confusion on Ben's face. The kid had raised his eyebrows before pointing at Reynold's bare chest. Before either said another word though, the guy's partner signaled the all clear. With a slap to Ben's shoulder, the kid slid past him, hopped behind the wheel, and took off.

It was at that moment Ben realized he was cold.

'Nothing to do about it now,' he thought. His jacket and shirt were gone, presumably heading with Ria to the hospital. They would be beyond repair anyway.

Cracking his neck, he stopped when he noticed the FBI jacket held out in front of him. Looking up, he recognized the agent with the salt and pepper hair.

"Thought you might want this Agent Reynolds."

Nodding at the man in thanks, Ben slipped the jacket on, grateful for the warmth. "It's Smith, right?"

The man extended his hand to Ben. "Albert Smith."

Agent Prefti's right hand man, Ben remembered while they shook hands. "Thanks for the jacket. To be honest, I was getting cold. Any word from Prefti?"

"Yes. He's got the suspects lined up for questioning, but they are a hard bunch to crack. Our team has still been unsuccessful in locating the missing Agent and the suspects are not talking. We're worried about what else may have been leaked." Smith explained gravely.

Ben knew about the missing agent. It had been the contact for Darcy and Brian. They needed to find the man soon. Reynolds mulled it over as he asked for an update on the two men in the missing car.

"I'm not sure. Last I heard local p.d. was involved and working with our contacts here at the resort to secure the vehicle."

Ben looked up. "How'd you hear that?"

"We've got someone on the horn with dispatch. Seems your guy on the feeds has been busy. He alerted them about the altercation and gunfire. The cops have been working with the resort people on something. I don't have the details just yet but I can get you an update. He's also the reason the ambulance got here so soon." Reynolds could see the approval in Smith's eyes.

Apparently, Loker had been busy. Ben was glad he'd brought him along. 'Knew he'd come in handy.'

Both agents turned when they heard a door behind them slam open. Reynolds watched two individuals race past him in a blur, but his focus was on the tall man behind them. An idea formed in his head.

"Agent Smith, keep me updated on the situation with the missing car and the police and let Agent Prefti know that I may have someone who can help get him the information he needs."

* * *

Cal hugged Gillian to him as they watched Torrez being loaded into the ambulance, Wallowski at her side. Surprisingly, he felt no desire to chase after them. Thinking it over, he realized that he actually trusted Sharon to take care of Ria. Knowing his young protégé was in good hands helped lift the burden of responsibility from his chest. The angry cursing in Spanish also didn't hurt. He probably should be more worried, she was shot after all, but perhaps the shock was finally registering in his body, because he felt no impulse to race after his protégé.

Glancing down at Gil, he realized that he had turned a corner in his life. No doubt due in large part to her. Despite everything going on, he felt almost at peace. Before he could verbalize the thoughts rolling around in his head, an EMT invaded their space, shining a light in his eyes. He winced, momentarily blinded by the pocket flashlight.

"Oy!" he bellowed, wincing and slapping at the horrible beam shoved in his face. "Gerroff!"

"Dr. Lightman, it appears that you might have a concussion. It's important that you verify some information for me. Do you know the date Dr. Lightman? Can you tell me who the president of the United States is?" The young and overly eager, in Cal's opinion, male questioned him while continuing to blind him with the flashlight.

"Bloody hell!" He bellowed, feeling his anger rising. "Who gives a flying f…"

"Cal!" Gillian's stern reprimand caught him up.

Turning from the EMT, Cal caught her fierce gaze. Raising his brows at her, he conveyed all of the anger and frustration he felt at the intrusion into his personal space. She blinked gently, letting him know she understood all of that, then turned her head slightly informing him that even though he was angry he still needed to let the man do his job. Snorting he responded that the kid was ridiculous and he was fine, perfectly fine in fact. Starting to smirk, she winced in pain. Reminding them both that they were definitely not fine and likely needed medical attention.

Seeing Gil hurt brought Cal up short. His anger melted, the prior fire dying down.

"Uh… er… yeah, I might have a concussion. But make sure Foster here is okay first, right, then you can…" he waved his hand around, "have me answer whatever bollocks you want."

Gillian cast him a look. He just shrugged. He was still Lightman after all. Though it caused her to wince again, this time the smile remained on her face. She acquiesced that this was the best behavior she could expect from him.

"Um, alright Dr. Lightman. Dr. Foster, can you describe to me how you are feeling?" The kid asked, continuing to examine Gillian.

Part of his brain registered the conversation between Gil and the EMT, even as Cal's primary focus switched to Reynolds. Ben was rushing around in all directions. He seemed to have taken charge of the investigation on this end. He finally stopped his frantic moving, pausing in front of a door back into the hotel to speak with another agent. Staring hard at Reynold's face, Lightman attempted to read his lips, but for some reason he couldn't focus all that well. Shaking his head to clear his vision, his gaze shifted quickly to the door behind Ben which had just slammed open.

"Dad!" Emily's worried face and concerned tone broke through the rest of the noise as she ran towards him, followed by a small shadow. Must be Robert. Cal registered that the little guy was holding her hand, just before his daughter crashed into him in a fierce hug.

"You're alright!" he heard her whisper.

Glancing over her shoulder he caught the sheepish look of Eli Loker and shot the man a glance that conveyed future retribution. Sadly, he couldn't put as much gusto into it, due in part to the relief he felt that his daughter was safe, but possibly more due to his sudden awareness of his bruised, possibly broken, ribs. "Em… Em!"

She pulled back a little at his hissed version of her name, concern etched on her features as she studied his face.

"While it's lovely to see you darling," Cal winced, "I'm afraid my ribs can't take much more punishment luv."

"Oh!" Pulling back fully, she reassessed his appearance. "I'm sorry dad." Turning to the EMT who was watching them, she asked. "Is he going to be ok?"

"Course I am luv." Cal whispered pulling Em's head toward his face so he could simultaneously kiss her forehead and give an unmistakable glare toward the young EMT. His look conveyed exactly what would happen if the kid scared his daughter any further.

Undaunted, the EMT used the opportunity to his advantage. "I'm sure your father will be fine provided he accompany us to the hospital for further testing."

Before Cal could respond, he caught the wide smile on Gillian's face out of the corner of his eye, and turned toward her. Reading her, he realized that the EMT's guilt trip wasn't the only reason for the utter joy she was displaying.

Holding on to Gil's waist, as if for dear life, was Robert. The kid was whispering over and over that Gillian was ok. In turn, Foster was whispering to him that she was all right, that he was all right, and that everything would be all right. As she gently stroked the little boy's hair, Gillian further informed Robert that he had been so brave before leaning down and whispering something else in the boy's ear.

So intent was Cal on their conversation that at first he missed what his daughter was saying, until her voice intruded insistently on his thoughts.

"Right dad?"

Turning to her, he nodding placatingly, without thinking. "Course Em," he replied, having no idea what he had actually agreed to, and only realizing he had cause to worry when he heard a small snort emit from Gil's nose. Apparently, she had been listening to his conversation as well.

"I'm so glad to hear you say that Dr. Lightman." The EMT stood up and started calling people over. Before he know what was happening, two stretchers were being rolled toward them.

"Oh bloody hell. No! No way I'm getting on that thing." He protested.

"Dr. Lightman you said you'd go to the hospital for evaluation. In order to take you in the ambulance we need to secure you to the stretcher." The EMT responded, as if there was any chance in hell of Cal being strapped to a bloody board.

"Gillian needs to go too dad." Emily's whisper in his ear caught his attention. Looking between her, Foster, and Robert, his conviction waned.

"Right, I said I'd go, and I'll go." The EMT started to wave over the stretcher. "But not on that thing!"

"But Dr. Lightman, our protocol…"

The EMT was interrupted by Reynolds who flashed his badge. Apparently, Ben had read the potential for Lightman to explode and intervened at the perfect time. Nodding to Cal, he turned toward the kid wrapping his arm around his shoulders. As they walked away, Ben waved his arm behind his back in a gesture to the other medical responders. Following the signal, the other EMTs ran over to assist Lightman and Foster. Parts of Renynold's conversation drifted back, and Cal overheard something to the effect of foregoing protocol for the FBI.

The rest of EMTs helped both Cal and Gillian stand and climb into the ambulance. No one stopped Emily or Robert from clambering in behind them. A female EMT took Cal's vitals. She was quiet and asked only the questions necessary to ascertain Cal's level of responsiveness and shock, before letting him sit back against the ambulance. Emily gently rested her head on his shoulder and he hugged her toward him.

His eyes sought out Gillian's. She was on the bench across from him with Robert securely tucked under her arm. Her gentle smile was a comfort. He only wished she wasn't so far away. The sentiment must have been conveyed by his features because she winked at him, causing him to smile and wince at the same time.

'Pair we are,' he told her with his eyes.

Glancing quickly at Em, and then down at Robert, she looked back up at him conveying that they were more than just a pair.

* * *

"Ben, where's Ria? Wallowski?" Loker stopped Reynolds before he could engage with another agent.

While Eli had been relieved to see that Lightman and Foster were ok, that was made evident when Emily tackled her father, his worry for Torrez was only growing.

"Eli, they're in route to the hospital." Ben started to explain but Eli interrupted, the concern evident on his face.

"The hospital?"

"Yeah. There was gunfire exchanged." Reynolds was interrupted before he could continue.

"Gunfire! Ben, What! Are they ok?! Did they get shot?!" Eli's voice was rising in volume. It was clear he was petrified.

Laying a comforting hand on Eli's shoulder, Ben confirmed Loker's greatest fear. "Torrez took a bullet for Wallowski." Pausing to allow that to sink in, Reynolds continued. "She knocked the detective out of harm's way but got hit in the process."

"Will she be ok?" Eli was stunned. The weight in his stomach growing by the minute.

"Ria's a fighter and she was cursing up a storm when they wheeled her out of here."

"She's awake?" Eli was shocked and alarmed at the thought of Ria hurt, "That's a good thing right? I mean…"

"Yeah, it's a good thing. She's not out of the woods by any stretch, but they got to her quickly. Real quick in fact." Reynolds squeezed Eli's shoulder. "A very smart and very prepared member of my team called for an ambulance at the right time." Ben eyed Loker pointedly. "That may have made the difference Eli."

Loker swallowed hard. Had he not assumed Lightman would get knocked on his ass, he might not have called for the ambulance. If he hadn't... Loker shook his head. He couldn't think like that.

"I know you're concerned about Torrez," Ben, still with his hand on Loker's shoulder, paused before looking down for a moment. "And I know this is a big ask," pausing again, Reynolds allowed Eli a moment to process that Ben was about to make a hard ask of him. "But my entire team is out of commission. Torrez, and Wallowski are on their way to the hospital and Lightman and Foster will be headed that way very soon." Reynolds pointed towards the EMTs working on Cal and Gillian as if to make his point. "Now, I need to go with them to the hospital and make damn sure that they all stay safe." Ben clapped his gesturing hand on Eli's chest. "Problem is, is that my team needs to interrogate these Albanian boys and find out exactly how the location of my agents was leaked. They also need to track down our missing contact." Moving in front of Loker, Ben held his gaze. "I need your help Eli. This is for everyone's continued safety." Ben twirled his hand around in a circle to emphasize his point.

Loker gazed over Reynold's shoulder, watching as Lightman and Foster entered the back of the ambulance, followed quickly by Emily and Robert. Part of him wanted nothing more than to follow them into the ambulance, to go find Ria and make sure she was alright. But the weight of Ben's words sat heavy on his shoulders. Lightman, Foster, Ria, none of them were in any condition to help. But Eli was.

Squaring his shoulders, he knew what he needed to do. Nodding his commitment, he asked Ben, "What do you need me to do?"

* * *

The sound of the passenger door slamming pulled their gazes forward.

Ben turned around in the passenger seat to look back at them. Making eye contact with each of them in turn, he stated, "The hospital is going to house you all in one room. We'll have agents stationed outside. We'll discuss next steps once you've been seen and cleaned up."

After Ben turned around, Lightman sought Foster's gaze. 'Next steps,' was clear code that they were in it up to their necks.

"Oh," Emily sat forward when the ambulance started to move. Looking around to confirm he was missing, she asked Reynolds, "Ben, what about Loker?"

"Eli? He's with some of my agents. They had to clean out the surveillance room before tagging along. He'll … meet us at the hospital afterwards. Seemed pretty keen to get there; wants to find out about Torrez."

Lightman caught the curiosity on Foster's face. She had heard the evasion in Reynold's response too. It hadn't been an outright lie, but there was something else going on with Loker. Before Cal could dig further, Emily responded, asking about Torrez.

"Will Ria be ok?" Concern evident in her voice.

But before Ben could answer, Robert spoke. "Michael says she will be fine. She's in good hands." The little boy's eyes sought Cal's as if the last part of his statement was meant for Lightman's ears.

"Um… yeah. I'm sure Michael is right. Torrez is a tough one. She'll pull through." Ben's response was meant placatingly. He hadn't experienced the accuracy of Michael's predictions.

But Cal had. Despite himself, Cal felt another weight release. It seems he, in fact, fully trusted Michael. So much so, that he decided not to press Ben further. At least, not yet.

Nodding at Robert, he let the boy see his complete faith in not only Michael, but more importantly, in Robert himself. "I trust she will be."

Robert beamed at Lightman. Looking up at Gillian, he hugged her tightly before cuddling back into her side.

Gil gently stroked his hair and leaned back against the inner wall of the van. Despite everything that had happened, she felt at peace. Her gaze found Cal's and even though they were not next to each other, she felt no space between them.

* * *

It had been hard to watch the ambulance leave, not knowing how long it would take him before he could join his friends at the hospital. Reynolds had promised him updates on Torrez. While he appreciated the gesture, it didn't help as much as being there would.

Sighing, Loker pushed aside thoughts of Ria. For now he needed to focus on getting Ben the information he needed. Which meant he paying closer attention to the debrief he was currently receiving from Agent Albert Smith. They were seated in the backseat of an unmarked car en route to interrogate the Shehus.

"He's completely vanished." Smith explained. "His car was found with the keys in the ignition. There was blood on the ground next to the driver's door."

This was about that leak in the department, Eli realized as Smith continued.

"He made a phone call to somewhere in the D.C. area. This call was made prior to his leaving work but after he was contacted by Agent Darcy Carter. She had sent an inquiry about your boss Dr. Gillian Foster." Smith explained gravely.

"You think this missing agent leaked the location of Darcy Carter and Gillian Foster to the Albanian boys and that's why they showed up here in Florida?" Eli spoke slowly as he wrapped his brain around the idea.

"That's our best theory, yes." Smith agreed.

Eli took this all in. He ran his hand absently over his laptop. "So you're hoping that I can find out what other information may have been leaked to these guys?" It was more of a statement, but Smith answered him anyway.

"Yes. If the Albanians have more intel, then our people may still not be safe." Pausing to give Loker a knowing look, Smith continued. " _Your_ people may not be safe."

The weight of this sank into Loker. This was the first time he'd been on his own for a case and it was a big one. There was a lot riding on this.

The car pulled to a stop in front of the building housing their suspects.

"Ok." Eli asked as he stepped from the car. "Where do we get started?"

* * *

The ride to the hospital was short. When the ambulance pulled to a stop at the Emergency Room entrance, the doors were opened and sitting outside were matching wheel chairs. This time Cal's protests went unanswered. Apparently, Ben's authority ended at the hospital entrance. Forced to sit in the char, he and Gillian were wheeled back to a large room that had been curtained off for privacy. Sitting on one of the beds, with a large ice pack on the back of her head was Wallowski.

A nurse with a chart was standing next to Sharon's bed attempting to get the woman to rest. It was apparent Sharon was ignoring her pleas.

"Lightman. Foster. Reynolds. Emily. Robert." Sharon acknowledged their presence, worry for Ria evident on her face.

"Wallowski." Ben responded, nodding at her as he held the door open for the rest of them to enter.

"Shazzer." Lightman acknowledged.

Emily just nodded as she wheeled her dad over to the bed in the far corner when the nurse pointed to it. After helping her dad onto the bed, she hopped up next to him.

"Sharon." Gillian said softly as she too was wheeled into the room by one of the EMTs, the woman who had taken Cal's vitals.

Robert was still holding Foster's hand. He glanced shyly at Wallowski as they walked past.

The EMT wheeled Gillian over to the open bed across from Sharon, on the same side of the room as Cal. After helping the injured woman climb onto the bed, the EMT hefted Robert up, so that he could sit next to Gillian. Foster gave her a grateful smile which the EMT returned before bringing her notes over to the nurse. While they conversed, the rest of the room caught up.

"Torrez is in surgery. They don't know for how long. They brought me here after they prepped her and took her up." Wallowski informed them. It was apparent that she had refused to leave the younger woman until the very last moment. Even now, they could tell she wanted to be with Ria more than she wanted to be sitting here, regardless of her own injuries. "Wish I could tell you more."

"She'll be ok." Robert said surprising everyone. "Michael said so."

Surprised, Sharon nodded at the boy. "Um, thanks Robert." Unlike Cal, she wasn't entirely sure that she believed Ria would be fine just because Michael said so, but given his past record in predictions, it actually did make her feel a little better. Letting out a long sigh, she turned to Reynolds for an update on the case. It would give her something else to focus on instead of the worry gnawing at her gut.

"So what happened back there Ben?" Sharon opened.

"I could ask you the same question." Ben retorted but without any fire behind it. He could relate to Wallowski's need for some semblance of control in an uncontrollable situation. Plus they did need to update each other. Running his hand over his head, he spoke to the EMT and the nurse. "Would you please give us a minute?"

The EMT bit her lip in an attempt to hide her response. She was apparently aware that this request would rile up the hospital nurse. Which it did.

The nurse puffed herself up, standing more erect before responding indignantly. "This is a hospital and these people need attention…"

Ben pulled out his badge, flashing it in her face, silencing her. "I understand that, ma'am, I do. And I'm certain you are the best person to attend to them."

The nurse rolled her eyes, but did deflate a little at the compliment. Ben knew what he was doing.

"But we have an ongoing investigation and I need to speak to them right away. It's important. They're stable, yes?" He turned directing the question at the EMT.

Still biting her lip, the woman nodded, refusing to look at the nurse. The nurse's lips pursed in response, but she didn't interrupt Reynolds.

"Just ten minutes, that's all I'm asking." While it wasn't really a question, he did phrase it as such, so the woman responded.

"Fine Agent Reynolds." She huffed. "But _only_ ten minutes. Then I'll be back. These patients need IVs, X-rays and rest. They don't need more stress." Turning she flounced toward the door, holding it open for the EMT to leave first.

The EMT gave a little wave to Robert, which he returned, before exiting the room.

"Ten minutes!" The nurse reminded them, casting a challenging look at the room, before shutting the door a little too loudly.

Sighing, Ben shook his head before proceeding. "When I left you all at the hotel, I had thought you were right behind me." He glared briefly at Cal after saying this. "Luckily, I had eyes in the hallways. Loker guided me right to Prefti and his team. Together we tracked down Agron and his men."

Lightman's ears perked up when he heard Loker's name. Apparently, he needed to give the kid more credit. Although he was still peeved at him about Emily. Maybe he'd let Eli stew a little first.

"We approached Shehu and his men to inquire as to the whereabouts of a missing person of interest." Ben's eyes flashed toward Gillian with concern.

Normally, that would have riled Cal up, but he could read on Gil's face the graceful acceptance of Ben's sympathy without any trace of returned interest. She even flashed Cal a look out of the corner of her eye after Ben continued speaking. And was that a wink?

Cal couldn't hide his own smile in response to the warmth in his belly. Coughing to cover the fact he was indeed smiling, he turned his attention back to Reynolds. He really needed to get a better handle on himself. He was in a hospital for crying out loud.

"Shortly after approaching the suspects, we heard gunfire and took cover. Shehu's men began firing at us while Agron attempted to sneak off. I followed and was able to successfully apprehend him, after which his men surrendered quickly. They are all in custody." Ben summarized. "Once we had secured the suspects, I continued through the parking lot to the location where the gunfire had originated." Glancing briefly at Wallowski, then Foster, he finally glared at Lightman, before continuing. "Anyone want to explain why I found you three there?"

"Gunfire?" Emily repeated in what she might have thought was a whisper, before smacking her dad on the shoulder.

"Oy! Em! That hurt." Cal looked back at her rubbing at his arm.

"Good!" She said and hit him again. He pouted and she glared back at him letting him know he fully deserved it.

"Right," he said turning back to see the rest of the room looking at him. Glancing briefly at Gillian, he decided to dial it back a bit. "Well, we went to our room," he gestured between himself and his daughter, "so we could get my laptop after your team intersected us in the hotel lobby. Wanted to help you find Robert. When we got up there I was in such a rush, I forgot my room key, which Shazzer tried to give me in the hallway."

Cal shot a look to Gillian. It was a partial request for forgiveness on top of an explanation. Her cheeks turned pink in response. Sharon looked guiltily to her lap. Emily was watching their faces intently, clearly suspicious that something had gone down. Not wanting to focus on that moment in particular, or cause any embarrassment to Gil, Cal cleared his throat meaning to continue. Foster interrupted him.

"I had received a phone message from Robert's aunt Darcy…" She trailed off as she read the change to their faces at the mention of the word 'aunt.' Gillian also felt Robert squeeze her in a hug before burying his face into her side as if in shame. Dawning realization lit up her features as she realized something very important. "She's not his aunt, is she?"

It was really a statement, but Reynolds answered it anyway. "No. She and her husband are undercover agents assigned to protect Robert until he was able to testify against a known crime boss."

Gillian shut her eyes as she inhaled sharply. She counted to ten before exhaling slowly. It was a trick she taught to her patients. The technique allowed time to absorb something before responding. Though she had encouraged him to try, she doubted Cal ever used it.

Opening her eyes, she gazed down at Robert. He was looking up at her forlornly.

"I'm sorry I lied Gillian. I didn't want to, but they said I had to." His little eyes were brimming with unshed tears.

"Oh Robert," She brushed the hairs off his forehead. "I'm not upset with you. You did the right thing by telling me they were your aunt and uncle."

"Darcy said that if we pre-ten-ded, it would be safer. That we'd be safe. Then I could tell the court about what the ugly man did."

"The ugly man?" Gillian asked frowning. Robert nodded as if that was a sufficient response. Hesitating briefly, she asked the question for which she was dreading an answer. "What did the ugly man do Robert?"

"He killed my parents."

* * *

The first few interviews were a bust. But Loker hadn't expected to get a whole lot from interrogating Agron's men anyway. Most didn't speak English and having a translator in the room didn't help. Besides they had grown up with the Shehu family in Albania, so they were fiercely loyal to Agron and deeply suspicious of anything related to the U.S.

Loker had shared his concerns about the pointlessness of those interviews with Agents Prefti and Smith, but protocol required them to proceed, helpful or not. But the wasted time was taking its toll on their team. After speaking with several of the Albanians with nothing to show for it, the agents needed a win.

Reading through the next file, Eli began to feel better about their chance of getting that win. According to the information provided by Prefti's team, Petrit Shehu had grown up destitute. Unlike his counterparts, had lived his whole life in the United States, making it more likely that he understood English.

The difference in his beginnings also gave Loker some insight into his psyche. Continuing through the file, Loker discovered that although Petrit was an Orlando local, living just ten minutes from the police station, he still hadn't used his allotted phone call. Eli suspected that he either had no other family or, if he did, that they wouldn't help him out.

Walking over to the one-way glass partition, Eli examined the man sitting in the chair. Beads of sweat were clear on his forehead and his left arm shook with nervous energy. Petrit's clothes were basic and showed wear; a drastic contrast to the high-end threads of both Veton and Agron. The file stated that he was a distant cousin of the triplets; one that the family apparently didn't think highly enough of to warrant an expensive salary. The petty crimes and misdemeanors in his record screamed of an individual that just couldn't prove themselves worthy, at least not in a family like the Shehus.

Loker smirked to himself. "Finally," he whispered under his breath. This was someone he could break.

Surveying the room, Eli could only see Smith's back as he was seated facing Petrit at the table. Agent Prefti was pacing back and forth behind Petrit, occasionally towering over the man to emphasize his dominance in the situation.

The translator sat in the corner repeating in Albanian the questions asked by Smith and Prefti. Although Petrit kept looking over at the man as if waiting for him to translate, it was apparent by the recognition on his face that he understood the questions in English. He was feigning an inability to understand.

Although, normally Loker would prefer to prep Smith and Prefti before interrupting an interview, in this case, he wanted to use their surprise to his advantage. Doing his best to channel Lightman, Eli slammed the door open and strolled in with a huge smile on his face.

"Petrit, Petrit, Petrit." The name rolled off his tongue.

Jumping at the sound of the door slamming open, the Shehu cousin stared wide eyed at Eli.

Loker sneered back. "Seems you have been a busy boy, haven't you?" Turning dismissively toward the translator he jerked his head at the door. "You can go now. We don't need your services here. It's pretty damned apparent Petrit here can understand every word I'm saying."

To his credit, the translator looked at Agent Prefti for confirmation. A small head nod, and the man rose from his chair and left the room.

Petrit missed the entire exchange as he was staring with suspicion at Eli. He managed to mumble, "English no good."

"What was that now?" Loker asked as he slammed the file down in front of Smith. Getting right in Petrit's face, "You're English is perfectly fine. Or so your cousin Veton tells us."

Rage briefly flashed in Petrit's eyes before he looked down at his hands, which were now curling into fists.

Loker decided to push it further, sliding into the seat next to Smith he pulled the folder over to him and flipped through absently. "Though we had to learn you were cousins from your file. Apparently, Veton doesn't consider you family. He said you were just a driver for them. No one worth his notice."

"Ndyrësi!" The whispered word was spoken with such vehemence, that Loker didn't need to know the translation to realize the man was pissed. His read on the guy was dead on.

Riding high on the knowledge he was succeeding, Eli continued with the Lightman-like persona. "Veton had a lot to say actually." Loker paused, until Petrit looked up. Holding his eyes for a long moment, Eli could see the anxiety begin to bloom on the man's face. Doubt mixed with fear was apparent. Holding the man's gaze for a long time, he smirked again before pulling a document out of the file and handing it to Smith. It was just another piece of paper with info from the case, but Eli had scribbled on the bottom in pencil: 'just go with whatever I say.' As he handed the paper over, his finger was positioned in such a way that it pointed to the note. After reading it, Smith nodded before passing it over to Prefti in a similar fashion. Eli, assumed both agents got the point so turned his attention back to Petrit.

Watching the paper being passed, Petrit's eyes began darting between the three men. Eli held the silence for a long time watching the man in front of him become more and more agitated, until at last he spoke.

"We know what you did." Loker sneered with disgust at the man. "Veton told us… everything."

Fear and rage flashed on Petrit's face, but he didn't say a word.

Loker continued unaffected. "He told me all about your screw up with Agent Thanas." Loker paused, watching the man's face for a reaction. Eli caught the recognition of the agent's name flash on the man's face, along with tension. Loker wanted to get to the bottom of that tension, so he continued his slow build.

"How you picked up Thanas to get information from him." This was true, no denial or shock at this statement.

"You drove him to a remote location." Again, no shock, no denial.

"You tortured him." Loker paused. Petrit was watching him just as closely. "Veton told me what you did." Eli saw a flash of something. Concern and anger. He would have to push him for more. "Veton told me… _you_ killed him."

"No! No! That's a lie." Although accented, Petrit's English was clear enough. " _I_ didn't kill him."

And there it was. He had broken. Eli knew it would all come rushing out now.

Loker didn't allow his pride in the moment to detract from his persona. Nor did he let the impact of Petrit's confession weigh on him. The man had just confirmed what they already feared about the missing agent. Thanas was dead.

Eli caught the sadness flash on Smith and Prefti's face. It didn't matter that the agent had turned on them. They had worked with the man. Probably knew his family, if he had one. The realization their comrade was gone fell heavy on the two agents.

Eli felt for them, he did, but he had to keep pushing. There was more information they needed from Petrit and now was the time to get it. The man was talking and Loker wanted to keep it that way.

So, Loker continued. "See that's funny, Petrit, because Veton told us the exact opposite. Said you screwed it up. His orders had been to rough up the agent a bit, get the information out of him, but that you couldn't even get that right."

"That lying sack of shit knows nothing."

"Really? 'Cause he seemed pretty knowledgeable when it came to you. Said you were weak, a screw up, worthless. You couldn't even handle Agent Thanas."

Slamming his hand on the table, Petrit's rage took over and allowed his mouth to get away from him. "That's a lie. It wasn't my fault Thanas wouldn't tell us more. We got the location of the stupid brat and that doctor lady out of him. If his 'Albanians'" Petrit practically spit the word out of his mouth, "hadn't been so rough, we could have gotten more out of him. It's their fault. The stupid vigans. Just 'cause they were born in Albania doesn't make them smart. I know this town. I'm the one who brought them Thanas. I found him. Not those idiots."

"You targeted Agent Thanas?" Prefti interrupted slamming his hands down on the table.

"No! No, no, not like that." Petrit's face paled as he realized what he had just divulged. "I just gave Agron the name, told him he had ties to Albania. Family that was over there. That's all."

"And Agron used that knowledge, didn't he? To press Agent Thanas for information?" Loker asked, realizing that was likely the reason Agent Thanas had divulged the whereabouts of the boy; he'd been concerned for the safety of his family in Albania.

Petrit, eager to avoid Prefti's anger, turned back to Eli. "Yes, yes. They wanted information only. I just drove them there. Those stupid Albanian goons Veton sent down here, they did it."

Loker, reading Petrit's face, shifted his approach. The man clearly wanted someone on his side. Speaking the next words in a softer voice, Eli morphed into the role Petrit required. "You just brought them to pick up Agent Thanas, right? They were just meant to question him about the boy."

Petrit nodded in frantic agreement. "Yes, yes, just question. Not hurt. They didn't tell me that. I just drove them."

"You drove them to…" Eli trailed off, looking at Petrit questioningly, but the man suddenly became tight lipped. "Petrit, if you want me to believe you, you are going to have to help me. Veton gave me a lot of information about your role in all of this. Unless, you want to take the fall for him and _his Albanian cousins_ …" Loker's emphasis of the last words worked, triggering Petrit's anger again.

"They are not his cousin. I am! I am family. They are not family. Did he say they were his family? Bah! Petrit does as he's told. Petrit is family. But who cares? S'ma Ni Kari!" Petrit was getting hot. His responses were evident of that.

Loker could barely believe how easy it was to push this man's buttons, to get the information he needed out of him. This must be why Lightman got off on these types of interactions. it was a rush.

Continuing, Loker pressed his advantage. "Veton didn't mention you were family at all. He said his men…"

"His men! Bah! They did it. Traps! They were supposed to rough him up, get information. But did they listen? NO! Petrit say enough. Did they stop? No! They no stop. They did it." Patrit shook his head angrily. "They family? No. Petrit family. Them, they Rrot karis! They kill him… that agent. They do it. Family? Bah!" The man was on a roll. "We lost our information 'cause of those stupid vigans. Now we have no one on inside. Cause of Veton's ' _family_.'" He practically spit the last word out.

Recognizing the importance of clarifying Petrit's acknowledgment, Agent Smith jumped in, adopting Loker's softer tone. "They killed your only informant?"

"Yes, stupid vigans. They did not listen to me. They think just 'cause I born here I am not worthy of their ears. Stupid." Petrit shook his head with disgust as he spoke. "But it was them. They messed up."

The Agents and Loker listened intently. There was one bit of information they still required.

Eli identified the man's need to be seen, heard, recognized. He had never received it from his family. It was the ultimate motivator for his actions. With this knowledge, Loker formulated a plan. Scribbling on a paper, Eli slid the writing over to Agent Smith.

Glancing at it, the agent nodded subtly and spoke up. "Petrit, if you help us, if you give us the location of the missing agent, we can help you…" Agent Smith gently coaxed.

Petrit looked at Loker, as if for confirmation.

"Petrit, Veton blamed you. He didn't see that you were trying to help him. Instead he protects his goons. They aren't even his family? You are. Yet Veton threw you to the wolves." Loker shook his head for emphasis. "You help us, we help you."

Petrit thought on it, then nodded to himself.

"You'll find body in warehouse between Colonial drive and Sand Lake road, off 441."


End file.
